Arenas and BGs

[dajamester]

I started playing during BC, after some decision I finally chose to play a priest in order to help out my RL friends who played. After getting to 70, I did tons of battlegrounds, getting healing gear and going discipline. I used to run around with my rogue and shaman friends, and after a while we decided to make an arena team. My very first arena match I had a bunch of blues and those Pauldrons of the Solace-Giver from Curator. I was almost instantly WTF 3K VENGEFUL HUNTER AXE MELEE CRIT DEAD but I kept on trying. I got a full set of PVP gear and after a month or two had enough points for a few vengeful pieces (starting playing during s2). My rogue friend had a bunch of pvp gear as well and we started doing disc-rogue 2's. Shit was so cash, I kept him alive and mana burned everything that had a blue bar. The thing I miss most about BC arenas (and to an extent, BGs) is the long fights at higher ratings. During season three within a few hours in one night we went from new 1500 team to 1750, with a 32 game winning streak. I remember particularly well a few Marks/resto matches that we had that took over 15 minutes each. I miss having to kite around hunter pets and pillar hump, I miss having to mana burn druids and lol as they innervate and I instantly dispel it. I miss matches having to take a while rather than getting WTFOMGBURSTLOLUDED. The best arena match I ever played was against a marks/resto comp and while being constantly viper stung, I kited the hunter's pet with great skill, hopping off the bridge while avoiding his arrows. After that long and arduous match I felt very good, knowing that I had to work really hard for that victory. That is what I miss. I do not arena now with the fervor that I once had, but I do know that it is indeed a whole different experience. Hopefully with the coming of Cata, things will go back the way they once were. I am sure I will get some flak about how I don't arena now and I have no idea how things work but I have talked to people and done some things and that is my two cents about it.

tldr; I miss BC arenas

[Relictus]

Superlong matches still exist in 2v2 a lot of the time, and you can play double healer in 3v3. However, I generally feel depressed after a 40-45 minute 2v2 match.

[dajamester]

It just doesn't feel the same anymore for some reason. I thought 15 minute matches were long O.o

[Wolfhunter]

It just doesn't feel the same anymore for some reason. I thought 15 minute matches were long O.o

It really depends on your comp. I play Arena with all 7 of my lvl 80 toons. My fav combo atm is Aff Lock + Resto Druid.

My first game this weekend was Disc Priest+Arcane Mage Vs Us...

1. Being Affliction spec, we've tried to burn the mage a few times while keeping the Priest Cycloned and Feared. Mage Iceblocks...gets a few heals and back to full life again. Plus, with Arcane Flows, the mage pretty much has Evocation ready all the time. A Slow here and a Poly there. Some Psychic Screaming going on. Dispel Magic and Remove Curse.... pretty much the only damn DoT I can use is UA. Both pillar humps me like a dog on heat, so yeah......

2. Priest tried to Mana Burn the druid, Druid pillar humps. I spam Fear on Priest and Mage, druid Innervates.

3. Drain Mana on Priest > Hymn Of Hope > Drain Mana > Shadow Fiend

4. Druid almost died, spam Fear and Howl. Druid heals full life again.

5. Curse and slam forehead on keyboard.

6. Priest finally runs out of mana and cooldowns. Mage full life after a poly and Evocation. Priest dies. We stand and /lol, /bye, /bored, /sigh.... Mage leaves.

Game Ended: 35mins

[Jubite]

39 minutes against aflic/rdruid as rogue/rdruid. Worst part was it was when we were at 2190 and we havent gotten back up there since.

We lost btw. Just made it that much more of a waste of time.

[Shimapan]

Yep, and with all these cleave teams (Beat cleave in particular) it takes out some of the strategic/skilled fun in arena.

But then again i hate long games, after a 16minute game me and my 2's partner are usually incredibly tired.

[Ormula]

Things change. I think arenas are very nice where they are at right now. I play war/druid in 2s and double healer warrior in 3s, and we don't have a set strategy for everyone. Some games end up being outlast games, some games end up being burn the weak link while CCing the carry. It's a very nice mix of the two. And I feel absolutely epic when it's a 20+ minute game and we win.

[Hole]

Play a druid, if your teammate dies you can successfully run around a pillar for 45 minutes (unless you're up against a warlock).

[Avestheman]

Before the initial nerf of a Prot-Holy pally (you know, when they were mini bosses in and of themselves?) I had kill the DPS (ret) in a matter of 3 or so minutes. The remaining 39 minutes of the match was me kiting around a Prot pally with the VALYNAR MACE all the while him laughing and sighing.... well after 42 minutes total I got a very satisfying /spit off on his corpse before he left the arena.

I quit 2's after that.