WoW Hunter PvP Guide
Success in Warsong Gulch at Level 80
With only ten players competing on each side the success of WSG hinges entirely on each player fulfilling the roles designated by their class (click here for a quick overview of WSG). DPS and DoT classes should work to recover the flag from the opponent or prevent the flag from being picked up.
Hunters fit into the former category, but successfully killing a flag-runner or defending the flag is as dependent on strategy as it is on ability (check out the build and rotation guide for ideas on property speccing a hunter for PvP).
Here are the situations a hunter will encounter during a typical WSG battle and the appropriate strategy for each:
1. Flag Defense
The idea of "defending" a flag is a misnomer. Opponents working in large groups are sure to pick up the flag regardless of how much defense is around. The goal is to simply impede their progress and give the team a chance to pick up the opponent's flag:
- Lay down fire, frost, and snake traps at the flag base: this will slow down the opponent while causing some damage.
- Hit any movement impairing shots on the flag-runner or his healer: Wyvern Sting, Scatter Shot, and Concussive shot all impair the runners and healers effectively, even if it's for a few seconds.
- Cause some damage: focus only on the flag-runner. If he has a healer then the net damage will be minimal but will also drain the healer's mana.
- Call out the direction the flag-runner is going: there are three possible escape routes for a flag-runner - tunnel, graveyard, and ramp. Give the rest of the team an idea where the flag-runner is headed and hopefully give them a chance to recover.
- Follow the flag-runner: if the opponent is runnning in a group (i.e. "turtled") then continue to impair the runner with Concussive Shot and Scatter Shot while hitting the target with any shot that does not require the hunter to stay immobile. All Stings, Explosive Shot, Black Arrow, and Kill Shot can be used while running, which will allow the hunter to maintain some damage while chasing the target.
2. Flag Recovery
There is a good chance that the opponent's flag-runner has made it back to their base. Typically the runner will not be alone, instead hiding out somewhere with a healer and a damage class. Flag recovery can be a frustrating part of the game, and requires some teamwork to return the flag quickly and with minimal loss-of-life:
- Find where the flag-runner is hiding: Aspect of the Beast makes the hunter untrackable, so other hunters (and druids in cat form) can not see a hunter on the mini-map. This will give the hunter some freedom to look for the runner and get an idea of where he's hiding and who he's hiding with.
- Share information: if the runner is on their roof with a priest and a warlock, use the Battleground channel to tell the other players (i.e. "FR's on roof with priest and lock adds").
- Don't go solo: hunters are not equipped with the proper armor or damage output to kill multiple targets. Once you make the flag-runner's location known, wait for additional help before ambushing the target.
- Talk to the "recovery" team and designate targets: hunters work well against healers; so offer to keep the priest or paladin busy while the other offensive members go after the runner.
- If the recovery team "wipes", group up and try again: a recovery strategy is built on pressure. If the first attempt to get the flag fails ("wiping" refers to every team member dying), then resurrect at the graveyard and head back to try again.
- When all else fails, play the waiting game: WSG has a debuff built-in so that if teams hold onto the flag long enough the runner will sustain additional damage and will run slower. If the game is played to a stalemate to that point then the debuff is the best chance to recover.
3. Assisting the Flag Runner
If the hunter chooses to be an offensive player he will typically act to assist his team's flag runner. There are a few important things to keep in mind when assisting:
- Slow down the defense at all cost: lay down traps, hit impairing shots, use Wing Clip if within melee range...whatever it takes to keep the enemy from attacking the runner.
- Kite the enemy: kiting refers to a process specific to ranged attackers. Wowwiki.com has a generalized overview of kiting for PvE (player vs everything) situations, and the strategy is no different in a battleground.
- Stick together: often all the help a runner has will disperse to offense to try to recover the opponent's flag. While flag recovery in the field is important it means nothing if both flag runners die as a result. Let the defense work on killing the opponent, and stick with the task at hand.
The goal of every Warsong Gulch battle is victory; statistics like number of kills and damage pale in comparison to the honor points received in a successful battleground. Victory often depends on teamwork and playing the role chosen or given to each individual, and these guidelines will ensure that at least one player will do what it takes to win.
Warsong Gulch Battle Map
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Technology
Latest Articles