1. #1

    Any Tutorials that Help a Former Caster Learn How to PVP as a Melee Class?

    Hello all,

    I just started playing WoW again after a 2-year absence. Back then, my main was a Warlock and really enjoyed doing PVP.

    When I started back up a couple weeks ago, I started a new character, a Monk. After leveling a bit, I thought it would be fun to do some random BGs, just to kill some time and have a good time (currently a level 75).

    What I discovered, is that I find it extremely difficult to PVP as a melee class (WW Monk here), given that for years I only PVP'd as a caster (Warlock) and had never before tried melee PVP. Mainly, I've found it very difficult "staying on top" of the opponent so that I'm within range, while at the same time making sure my character is facing the right direction.

    Now, I've only been trying to PVP for a few days (I'd say roughly 20-30 BGs), so I know it'll take some getting used to, but is there any advice/tips/suggestions for learning to PVP as a melee class?

    Even better, are there any tutorial videos out there that help people become better at playing a melee class, when they've been used to playing as a caster the whole time? What I've found very hard is the combination of staying close to the opponent, while facing him, and while hitting buttons to attack him, all at the same time. As a caster, I didn't really need to "move" and could stay in range, so as a melee, it's quite hard.

    Is there a "trick" to being able to effectively PVP as melee, especially for someone so used to playing as a caster? (The question isn't specific to Monks, but more generally, PVPing as melee).

    [Just to note, in case it helps with suggestions/tips, all of my special attacks are key-bound (i.e., I'm not a clicker). The one thing I don't do (or at least do very well), is strafe].

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    run after your target, spam buttons, win.

  3. #3
    Strafing isn't that important, you could probably even play without it (it's easier if you strafe though).

    1. I know you say your special attacks are keybound, I don't know if this means ALL your spells, but if you haven't bound everything, that's the most important thing as a melee DPS. Even clicking 1 spell will make it harder to keep on your opponent.

    2. Hold right click down all the time. You'll need to spin round like a mad man to keep on top of some targets. If you stun a mage and he blinks through you, you need to spin 180 in a split second and decide what gap-closer you're using. Same with when a rogue shadowsteps you, you want to be facing him as fast as you can for the chance to parry/dodge his kidney and to stop him backstabbing/ambushing. There are very few times as a melee dps that you shouldn't be holding down your right click.

    3. You need to learn and 'know' the CD times of your spells. As a caster you get a lot of time to look at your UI while you're casting spells or kiting people. As a melee, you've got to constantly be watching your opponents positioning which means you get very little time to look at how long you have left on the CD of your abilities. After playing a class for a huge amount of time you get used to how long the CD of some abilities are. This is just muscle memory and it's more about just playing over and over until you get a feel for your class.

    4. Keep a slow up. Seems pretty basic, but it's something you kinda forget when playing a caster for a long amount of time. More often than not, your biggest priority as melee is getting a slow up so you don't waste gap closers just trying to catch up with someone.

    Also, maybe try turning up or down your mouse sensitivity if you're getting lost or dizzy when trying to keep up with facing someone. Could also try with turning off/on nameplates or using nameplate addons to only show your target.

  4. #4
    Thanks! This is the type of advice I'm looking for. Very helpful.

    I guess a lot of it will just come down to practice, practice, practice. It seems that melee requires a lot quicker judgments/reflexes and it's something I'm just going to have to work at.

    A follow-up question though - how does strafing make it easier (pardon my ignorance)? If you're holding down the right mouse button to turn, why do you need to strafe? I mean, what benefit does it add if all of the turning is done with the mouse. Wouldn't you always just be using the "W" key (i.e., move forward) and using the right mouse button to move where you want to go? I guess I just don't yet understand why strafing is so helpful/important (even though I know that it is since everyone always uses it).

    Thanks!

  5. #5
    I am Murloc! Terahertz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snuggli View Post
    Strafing isn't that important, you could probably even play without it (it's easier if you strafe though).

    1. I know you say your special attacks are keybound, I don't know if this means ALL your spells, but if you haven't bound everything, that's the most important thing as a melee DPS. Even clicking 1 spell will make it harder to keep on your opponent.

    2. Hold right click down all the time. You'll need to spin round like a mad man to keep on top of some targets. If you stun a mage and he blinks through you, you need to spin 180 in a split second and decide what gap-closer you're using. Same with when a rogue shadowsteps you, you want to be facing him as fast as you can for the chance to parry/dodge his kidney and to stop him backstabbing/ambushing. There are very few times as a melee dps that you shouldn't be holding down your right click.

    3. You need to learn and 'know' the CD times of your spells. As a caster you get a lot of time to look at your UI while you're casting spells or kiting people. As a melee, you've got to constantly be watching your opponents positioning which means you get very little time to look at how long you have left on the CD of your abilities. After playing a class for a huge amount of time you get used to how long the CD of some abilities are. This is just muscle memory and it's more about just playing over and over until you get a feel for your class.

    4. Keep a slow up. Seems pretty basic, but it's something you kinda forget when playing a caster for a long amount of time. More often than not, your biggest priority as melee is getting a slow up so you don't waste gap closers just trying to catch up with someone.

    Also, maybe try turning up or down your mouse sensitivity if you're getting lost or dizzy when trying to keep up with facing someone. Could also try with turning off/on nameplates or using nameplate addons to only show your target.
    Just wanted to add some stuff to these points and some back-up feedback.

    1. You should REALLY keybind everything you'll use in battle. Try to have your slows and gap closers a bit close to your movement keys, while having stuff like stances on your mouse, at least that's what I do.

    2. Even as caster you should aim for holding your right button as much as possible. It's really important that you're able to spin around your character ASAP.

    3. I myself haven't really gotten this skill yet as I only recently started playing my DK, and my main melee class was feral, which doesn't really have any melee CDs besides Tiger's Fury. But as a DK and Paladin you'll want to watch and maintain your runes and holy power a lot. As DK you'll want to aim for knowing the rune cost of your abilities. Like I know Obliterate costs 1 frost and 1 unholy rune, while festering strike costs 1 blood and 1 frost. I check my runes and know which abilities I'll be able to use.
    You'll want to learn not to look at your actionbars so much as melee.

    4. Can't add much to this as I forgot to slow my opponents too sometimes, but I'm a DK/feral so I don't have that much of a problem with slows. But yeah, even as feral I did notice that when my slow wore off, it would basically force me to use my gap closer. But if you can, you'll want to try to walk to your opponent. If you're not slowed and your opponent is casting, you'll want to aim to moving to your enemy instead of blowing your gap closer. (Unless it's a chaos bolt and you're a warrior, stun that warlock!)

    I don't recommend turning up/turning down your mouse senstivity in WoW. Just use your basic mouse sensitviity you're used to. Unless it's like 3600DPI with the in-game mouse sensitivity set to max of course...

    All in all Snuggli pointed out most of the important details.

    Also don't forget, even though you're melee, you can abuse LoS too for hiding/luring a caster in. Try to hold off on using your gap closer as long as you can without you losing a battle of course, and if you have to use your gap closer, ideally you'll want to have your opponent to have used his gap closer first, so that pesky mage doesn't blink away from your charge

  6. #6
    do what most melee do, spam roots/slows/grips/immune to magic/gap closers/stuns so u sit there doing sweet f.a and die

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Morictan View Post
    Thanks! This is the type of advice I'm looking for. Very helpful.

    I guess a lot of it will just come down to practice, practice, practice. It seems that melee requires a lot quicker judgments/reflexes and it's something I'm just going to have to work at.

    A follow-up question though - how does strafing make it easier (pardon my ignorance)? If you're holding down the right mouse button to turn, why do you need to strafe? I mean, what benefit does it add if all of the turning is done with the mouse. Wouldn't you always just be using the "W" key (i.e., move forward) and using the right mouse button to move where you want to go? I guess I just don't yet understand why strafing is so helpful/important (even though I know that it is since everyone always uses it).

    Thanks!
    Mainly for LoS, positioning and running away.

    Running away - If you're running away from someone, if you only hold down right click then you'll be facing AWAY from them. Meaning you won't have any idea if they are chasing you, running away or anything. If you strafe while running away you can see what they are doing while also moving full speed. (Don't backpedal!). Strafing to run away also means that if they attack you, you still have the chance to dodge/parry which you don't if you show them your back. (your side counts as your front).

    Positioning - Similar to the above, strafing means that you can move around the bg/arena easier. Lets say you've got a healer on focus who is 5 yards to your right. You don't have to face completely away from your target that you're attacking to land a focus kick etc.

    LoS - If you're running round a pillar, it's sometimes easier to strafe round the pillar so you can see round the pillar with your camera. Kinda hard to explain so I drew up a picture. The black cone is your vision and the red arrow is where you're moving:


  8. #8
    Banned Video Games's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hjelpen View Post
    run after your target, spam buttons, get kited to infinity, lose.
    ftfy
    10char

  9. #9
    Thanks Terahertz and Snuggli!

    Some really great advice. Appreciate the help.

    And great diagrams Snuggli - made it much easier to grasp. Thanks.

  10. #10
    Never use your interrupt in the middle of a cast. Either use it as soon as the enemy starts casting or just before he has finished the cast.

    ---------- Post added 2013-03-04 at 09:05 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Hjelpen View Post
    run after your target, spam buttons, win.
    Everyone isn't a feral

  11. #11
    Elemental Lord Korgoth's Avatar
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    Not much to it really beyond ranged. Never use your interrupt unless you absolutely have to; and then try for a longer cast at the end. Never let your target not be slowed. Never waste a gap closer, which is going to be hard a on monk with how roll works.

    Monk is definitely going to be a more advanced melee option. Maximising your Fist of Fury stuns, your burst potential, using off CC, and staying on top of a target without a targeted gap closer. If you want easy then make a feral druid, then you just point yourself at which Blue Class your killing and spam ravage.
    "Gamer" is not a bad word. I identify as a gamer. When calling out those who persecute and harass, the word you're looking for is "asshole." @_DonAdams
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  12. #12
    Thanks. Seems like part of my problem is that I chose a melee class with a high degree of difficulty as my first. A targeted gap closer would be nice.

    Definitely some great tips and things I'll have to keep in mind.

  13. #13
    Every melee class you play is going to feel unfairly difficult a lot of the time, except maybe a rogue (and this is coming from a person who argues with Korgoth about rogues ) and possibly warriors, though that's changing a lot next patch.

    When I die as a rogue or warrior, I usually feel like it's not because of my class, it's because of me. On my DK, Monk, and Enhance Shaman, there are many more times where I'm super-frustrated because "what they hell was I supposed to do there???".

    Maybe it's just because I don't know those classes as well, idk.

    That doesn't mean that playing a warrior or rogue is easy-mode - there will still be a learning curve.

  14. #14
    Thanks. A lot of stuff to work-on. Just need to practice and fight through the urge to get frustrated.

  15. #15
    Learn to not even kick a cast unless it 80%+ plus sometimes newb healers will fake at 20% and you seriously just make the panic for couple of seconds.
    You're right except for 2 things.

    1. My name is spelt "God" not "Loucious-sama".
    2. I'm not a man, because man is inherently flawed. I am in fact a being so far beyond your comprehension that archaic constraints like flesh, blood, time and consequently, gender, have no meaning to me.

  16. #16
    I mostly play ranged also but I find myself holding both mouse buttons to move a lot more on a melee character. Frees up the left hand to hit any bind easily without crippling your hand. This only really works while chasing because if you are running away you won't have vision of your enemy since all you can see is what is directly infront of you.

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