Structured PvP guide (maps and tips)

[Deleted]

PvP GAME TYPES

• Hot Join 1v1 to 10v10: This is the casual side of structured PvP. A great place to experiment with builds, learn the maps, and try out a PvP game against other players. These games can be joined by the player mid match and can be left at any time. Players will be matched based on a similar amount of total Glory earned.
• Tournaments 5v5: These games will be accessible through a separate browser that will require 5 people to queue up for pvp together. Played on the same maps as the “Hot Join” games, the teams with the higher level of coordination and skill will have clear advantages.
• WvW: up to 2000 players. Three servers battle in the Mists. Here is separate guide for WvW http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-guide-for-WvW Also wiki: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_versus_World

SCOREBOARD
The scoreboard panel keeps track of the points scored by each team during structured PvP matches. The objective is to be the first team to reach 500 points.

Points are awarded through holding capture points and kills. Each capture point location grants one point every two seconds. Each player kill grants ten points in Forest of Niflhel and 5 points in Battle of Kyhlo. If neither team reaches 500 points, the team with the most points will be declared the winner after the 15 minute time limit.

Action	Score
Player kill	5 to 10 points
Taking a neutral point	10 points
Reviving a teammate	10 points
Killing a player while they are capping or protecting	15 points
Re-taking a lost point	25 points

REWARDS
The PvP reward system has a two-tier reward structure that involves Glory and Rank. Glory is a currency that players can spend to unlock reward chests stuffed with useful loot, while Rank is a measurement of your success in PvP. You’ll receive valuable reward chests as you climb in Rank.

STRUCTURED PVP AND CONQUEST MAPS
Conquest will be the only structured PvP mode available at the game launch. It is a is a game mode where players are placed in two teams, and must capture objectives and important location. The first team to acquire 500 total points wins the game.

Only two maps are currently known, but there are hints about other maps (unnamed underwater PvP map and unnanounced PvP map that "will be very nostalgic for GW players").

BATTLE OF KHYLO
Battle of Kyhlo is a structured PvP map. It has three capture points and siege weapons as the secondary mechanic. Teams will gain points through both capturing and defending their control points as well as player kills.


In this map, mobility is king. Because of the close quarters and vertical aspect, teleporting skills and stealth are both very powerful tools to gain access to the central point. AoE is also very effective if you can catch several people in a hallway or ramp, causing significant damage to everyone within the radius. This particular tactic is fantastic for defending the lower level of the Clocktower.

Choke points

The slope up to the Windmill and stairs up to the Mansion are notorious choke points, especially if you only have melee weapons equipped. Ranged classes can cause huge damage to you on your way up or worse, will immobilise you and your group and rain down area of effect damage. Try to attack these capture points from both sides.

Trebuchet control is another important aspect in this map. Due to the extremely high damage that this can lay down having someone to man this weapon is critical to a good teams success. Almost as critical, is having someone on your team to harass the player manning the opposing teams trebuchet. Generally you will want a high burst damage character in this role.

Shortly:
- Don’t always stay together, split the team down to attack multiple points. Don’t be afraid to pair up or go solo and break away from the pack
- Use the Trebuchet, it deals massive damage and also knocks opponents down. The Windmill and the Mansion are on range, so you can provide support to your team who are fighting at capture points.
- Don’t ignore enemy trebuchet, destroy opponents trebuchet. This gives valuable time to secure capture points or kill anyone trying to secure the repair kit. Destroy their trebuchet even if they are not using it.
- Don’t camp the clocktower, clocktower is usually first target of trebuchets, you do not want to be there when they fire it. Get in, get it captured and get out (preferably through the windows).
- Don’t always fight, going into fight that you know will lose will only provide the opposing team. Heading in the opposite direction to another control point will stretch the opposing team and provide you with valuable points.
- Use the Clocktower roof, the highest point on the map allows you to gain a birdseye view of your surroundings. From here you know instantly who is at what capture point and where groups of opposing players are heading.
- Don’t standstill, you will be doing a disservice to your team by just staying in one control point. Covering an area, from Clocktower to Windmill or Clocktower to Mansion will be much more effective.

FOREST OF NIFLHEL
Forest of Niflhel is a structured PvP map. It has three capture points and powerful NPC monsters as the secondary mechanic. Team will accrue points based on the number of captured positions as well as player kills. The team that slays either of the two NPCs that spawn will also gain 50 extra points.


Control of the large central area in this map will be key to success. The area just south of the keep is wide open with multiple routes leading into it from all directions. This area will be a critical battleground for large team skirmishes, and maintaining dominance of it will grant easy access to the Two NPCs as well as the central control position. Because of the amount of points that they grant, prioritizing the Boss NPCs will also be very beneficial. On this map it is possible to only hold one point for the majority of the game as long as you maintain control of the NPCs. Keeping spawn timers on the Neutral Bosses will also ensure you can gain the maximum amount of points from them.

Due to the wide open areas on this map, team fighting will play a much more integral role. Having a good mix of offensive and defensive players with plenty of CC will allow a team to dominate the center of the map. Defence of the outer points is much easier if you control the center due of the long routes that the opposing team will have to take to traverse the map. This also gives the added benefit of having control of at least one NPC. If you are attacking the center point remember that a team can easily be ambushed as they are attacking a NPC Boss. The Neutrals hit extremely hard and can easily kill a few people if they are CC'd or bursted down by a player. You can use this time to swiftly attack the weakened NPC to steal the points or use the confusion to assault an opposing control point.

Choke points

There are several choke points in Niflhel that are incredibly dangerous. These are primarily the tiny paths through to Henge and Mine that lead off from the centre of the map as well as the small openings through to the water ways, at the base of the westerly keep steps and before the river crossing at the easterly side of the keep. Being caught in either of these locations will leave you incredibly vulnerable, so be careful.

Shortly:
- Don’t forget the NPC’s, 50 points & team wide buff isn’t something to be ignored
- Don’t camp the keep, the Keep is vulnerable from all sides. It is more effective to capture it and move on than constantly trying to fight it out.
- Don’t get trapped in open play, area between both bases, near the beach, tends to have constant battle where you get trapped into a cycle of spawning, exiting and dying. It only gives opposite team free score. Leave through the exit towards the capture points and ignore zerg.
- Use caution, capture areas have height disadvantage. Have a spotter to call out when someone is approaching, kill the attacker and return back to the capture point.
- Don’t just use the stairs, use the rear path to the Keep. It gives height advantage and keeps melee out of play.

Hope this helps and encourages people to join structured PvP. ^_^

[Zilong]

Excellent guide! Most of it I had in my mind already but knowing you can keep only 1 node and just take care of the bosses is a nice knowledgeable strategy (but risky maybe).

One of the things that irritates me the most is how these games encourage zerging more than defend and keep. I know that its a sound strategy but somewhat diminishes the team play specially with random players. But we will see how it will go post launch .

Thanks for the guide.

[Binaris]

Speaking from a strictly WoW perspective (for now). Zerging has always been viable. Partly because of the game type but mainly because players don't respond well to it. When a zerg is stomping you at point after point, many people tend to panic. Too often do people try to take 2/3 (or 3/5 if we are taking WoW AB) and leave an equal defense on each. A zerg destroys them often out of sheer numbers.

Zergs get a bad rep because they aren't used smartly. By this is mean that that are normally only used for offense. However, they really shine on defense.

For example. in a 10v10

Red team holds 2 points. Blue team holds one.
Instead of assigning 5 defenders to each point which is susceptible to a zerg attack.
Assign 2 defenders to each point and 2 support groups to hang out between.
If a zerg attacks point A, you can quickly even the odds by having 8 defenders.
If a small force attacks it. You can even the odds with 5 defenders without leaving yourselves open.

I am definitely interested to see what will happen when you apply npcs to this basic layout. Personally, I have never been one for pvp because of the gear based gaps in power. GW2 is lining up to break that pattern for me though.

[Zilong]

Speaking from a strictly WoW perspective (for now). Zerging has always been viable. Partly because of the game type but mainly because players don't respond well to it. When a zerg is stomping you at point after point, many people tend to panic. Too often do people try to take 2/3 (or 3/5 if we are taking WoW AB) and leave an equal defense on each. A zerg destroys them often out of sheer numbers.

Zergs get a bad rep because they aren't used smartly. By this is mean that that are normally only used for offense. However, they really shine on defense.

For example. in a 10v10

Red team holds 2 points. Blue team holds one.
Instead of assigning 5 defenders to each point which is susceptible to a zerg attack.
Assign 2 defenders to each point and 2 support groups to hang out between.
If a zerg attacks point A, you can quickly even the odds by having 8 defenders.
If a small force attacks it. You can even the odds with 5 defenders without leaving yourselves open.

I am definitely interested to see what will happen when you apply npcs to this basic layout. Personally, I have never been one for pvp because of the gear based gaps in power. GW2 is lining up to break that pattern for me though.

I dont think you are wrong but what I don't like about zergs is that (besides being risky) and not hard to counter (if organized) one things bothers me:

I feel gw2 has the most potential for team play ever, and zerging (usually on wow) feels like solo in a group, not to mention if you don't have at least one healer (which happens often) the situation turns out to be bad.

In the PvP that Ive done in gw2 betas (and it wasnt too little of it), Ive felt like the ONLY one defending ever, the rest was pretty much just zerging (and not even zerging but just wildly spread on the map). I just hope that we can post-launch the feeling of the PvE co-op transfer to the Pvp, you know what I mean? The little talk before the match starts, assigning strategy and such. Also would help to have some different map sizes and match sizes.

[Binaris]

Best thing i can say to that is find equal minded friends and organize. With the ability to be in as many guilds as you want, there is no reason you cannot find like minded friends and have them organized into your own private pvp grp/guild. The guild system leaves much room for thing like that now. Huge check in the plus column.