Guild Wars 2

I am a returning PvP player. Used to be a Tank DK class in Flag carrying games in WoW while playing DPS DK in resource games.

Now as all the maps in GW2 are Resource/Domination games with some of the maps resembling maps like Alterac Valley or Strand of Ancients etc. is there any concept of a Tank class in PvP in GW2? I think only Flag carrying games brings the importance of specific classes having specific roles. (Personal opinion only)

If yes, veterans please suggest how to go about it? I am confused here as every class seems to have DPS and Healing abilities. No class specific roles seems to be distinct.

Lastly, I am wondering what exactly PvP players play the game for as such? Any player can join the game at low level itself with gear and weapons having no role as such, only build choice counts? Are there any PvP titles at least? I could only figure that there is not exactly any PvP gear that can be brought via PvP currency etc. So what exactly is there for PvP players?

Regards
Eagelseye

Well, we have roles here too.

In the end, every profession can trait for every role, but not every profession will end up to be as effective as the others.
On the current ‘meta-tier’ you can find three support/bunker builds:
cele-staff-stoneheart ele; cleric-altruistic-healing guard and shoutbow warrior.
(Take a look at metabattle.com for a rough trait preview).

The thing is, with hot the meta will change and other profession might fill that role (e.g. Ranger with the Druid specialization) so I would not pick a profession for the current meta if it might be obsolete in a month.

I suggest to create every profession, join the mists (with the two crosses swords on top of the screen) and see on the golems in the mists how every profession feels like, we don’t really have dk in gw2 (you could compare the necromancer specialization the reaper to a frost dk but until you actually have unlocked the specialization the necromancer will feel more like a warlock).

Eagelseye.6312:

Lastly, I am wondering what exactly PvP players play the game for as such?

First, I have unlocked every skin available through the reward tracks. Now I am waiting for the league system. Then I will play to improve myself to reach the top division.

Any player can join the game at low level itself with gear and weapons having no role as such, only build choice counts?

Once you join pvp (and you have at least a level 1 chest, legs and boots equipped) just press the helmet at the top of the screen to adjust your trait points (like the skill tree in wow) and select an amulet (the armor stats), runes (compareable to a set boni) and sigils (weapon enchantment)

Are there any PvP titles at least?

Yes, there are, but currently only once you just have to farm. For skill-based titles wait for the league system with HoT.

The reward is the combat itself – not gear/equipment. I play because I enjoy the combat, simple as that. Everyone is on level ground when it comes to equipment, so ideally only player skill should matter. Edit: the only thing I “grind” for are unique skins and wvw gear.

Roles are flexible; different classes can be adapted into a number of roles – even more so once the new specialisations are released. Of course some roles are more efficient than others (ie you’d never try to build a bunker thief and expect it to be as effective as a bunker guardian in conquest…)

There will soon be leagues and stuff for players to climb the ranks and show off.

The game has many problems, but being free of the archaic and forced trinity system as well as gear grind being mostly cosmetic (if you ignore the difference between exotics and ascended) are not problems – in fact I’d say they are the best thing about gw2.

Thanks Teutos.8620 for the advice. I had been reading the forums and trying to figure out what is the overall scenario of the PvP but I am still confused.

Rangers/Hunters getting staff to heal, Ele/Mages also acting as healers with Guardians/Prot Warrios fighting for Revenant for being top healers to play Bunker/Tank seems very confusing for a returning player as such.

I seek more suggestions and help from veterans here.

I agree with your choices – if you want to play a bunker/support/tank come HoT, I’d look at Revenants (Herald), Rangers (assuming druid performs well) and Guardians.

Inspiration/Chrono mesmers with sword/shield + staff and wells might also end up being strong bunkers.

You can do it on others, but those would be my choice.

Eagelseye.6312:

Thanks Teutos.8620 for the advice. I had been reading the forums and trying to figure out what is the overall scenario of the PvP but I am still confused.

Rangers/Hunters getting staff to heal, Ele/Mages also acting as healers with Guardians/Prot Warrios fighting for Revenant for being top healers to play Bunker/Tank seems very confusing for a returning player as such.

I seek more suggestions and help from veterans here.

Depending on your weapon, stats and trait setup, every profession can perform a different role.

E.g.:
A ranger with trait points in druid, nature magic and survival: a staff; and a cerlics amulet can be a support/bunker.
A ranger with trait points in marksmanship, skirmishing and beastmastery; a longbow and a marauder amulet can be a dps.

Now, you want to throw 5 players together to build a viable pvp team:
Maybe you decide to play with 3 dps profession and 2 bunker, or you will decide to play with 1 dps and 4 hybrids/bruiser. Which profession you pick to fill each role is up to you.

Or you decide to just copy one of the top pvp teams since they will most likely have a good combination:
E.g. 1 cele staff ele, 1 settler shoutbow warrior, 1 marauder thief, 1 marauder mesmer and 1 marauder engineer.
If you want to see top team playing: http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2 (currently live with a gw2 tournament).

Thanks Curunen.8729 for the info as it gives me some sort of motivation in an otherwise confusing forum here.

Can you please help me understand the League system you just mentioned?

Eagelseye.6312:

Thanks Curunen.8729 for the info as it gives me some sort of motivation in an otherwise confusing forum here.

Can you please help me understand the League system you just mentioned?

I’ll let someone else explain the league system as I don’t understend it properly and don’t want to spread misinformation.

Regarding motivation – I strongly recommend trying all the classes and stick with those you enjoy the theme of – as well as the audio/visual skill effects. Balance patches mean things will come and go, but if you enjoy the core theme of a class then you’ll enjoy the game.
I wouldn’t feel motivated to play purely for efficiency alone because it might not be as enjoyable.

Thanks Teutos.8620 for more suggestions and insights.

Eagelseye.6312:

Can you please help me understand the League system you just mentioned?

Similar to WoWs BG Rating, we already have a MMR system in unranked and ranked in place to help you facing opponents of about your own strength, but currently, you don’t get rewarded for climbing up the ladder.

The league system is just the rating structured into different tiers, which will reward you the higher you climb. E.g. the gold division will be 1750 to grant you access to the normal armor skins, while 2200 will be the diamond division which will grant you access to the very special looking armor skins and titles. (Very simplified, we actually don’t know yet how many tier there will be and what we get as rewards besides titles.)

Thats interesting as it seems to be corresponding to T2 Weapons and Armor set in WoW from Rated Bgs. Well I will for the time being try out Warriors and Guards but not level anything till HOT comes in and I see how Revenant works as such.

Just another question, is the Warrior class not seen much in Ranked PvP as many threads suggests that the class can’t compete for other DPS class builds?

Eagelseye.6312:

Just another question, is the Warrior class not seen much in Ranked PvP as many threads suggests that the class can’t compete for other DPS class builds?

Since ROM plays warrior, Warrior will always be used in ranked pvp; I’m sure he will make it work no matter what. In the end, the so called ‘meta’ represents the point of view of the community what is strong and therefore how a team combination should be played.

The warrior has currently two viable builds that get used in ranked pvp:
Shoutbow warrior = bunker/support
marauder gs warrior = dps/roaming

On EU: EU loves the thief & mesmer burst combination and therefore we rarely see a dps warrior, but currently most top pvp team are using the shoutbow warrior for bunker/support.

On NA: marauder gs warrior is played in combination with a bunker/support guard (the cleric altruistic healing build).

Don’t forget (in a bit less than a month) HoT launches and changes the ‘meta’. Currently the combination of the new ‘Berserker’ trait line for the warrior looks great. (More specifically: the increase in survivalability with the combination of the buffed ‘Rousing Resilience’ and ‘Outrage’, the additional crowd control and the damage boost with quickness quickness).

In the end… we have to wait and see

Eagelseye.6312:

Thanks Teutos.8620 for the advice. I had been reading the forums and trying to figure out what is the overall scenario of the PvP but I am still confused.

Rangers/Hunters getting staff to heal, Ele/Mages also acting as healers with Guardians/Prot Warrios fighting for Revenant for being top healers to play Bunker/Tank seems very confusing for a returning player as such.

I seek more suggestions and help from veterans here.

That’s not exactly accurate. Even the community (granted, the majority who don’t pvp on a competitive level) are having a difficult time realizing exactly what’s going on with the Specializations that HoT is bringing.

Elite Specializations
The patch is “specializing” classes, basically giving them a new playstyle in general. This was never meant to completely replace another class entirely
– Druids or Revenants are not going to replace Guardians in terms of the Guardian Lore – what the Guardian is as a profession.
That doesn’t mean they all can’t fulfill that bunk/sustain/team support role. When people say they’re going to replace guardian, it usually means the meta Bunker Guardian role.
(Your Tanks in other MMOs are Bunker classes in GW2)

That said, every class could always do what the other can offer. A damage role is not defined by a Warrior or Thief or Ranger… like other games. Everyone is dps. Everyone is sustains. It’s a matter of performances; a player’s skill level and/or certain team syncronizations.

In PvP, we turned Conquest Roles into a science. For example:
Rotation/Decapping/+1 builds
Thieves are The Best in rotations; decapping points and +1ing a fight. Other classes can do the same… they just can’t do it as efficiently as a Thief. A team with out a Thief, better have syncronized players who can rotate the map in an efficient and organized manor. These team comps usually win team fights but struggle to win back the map due to a Thief decapping them.

Bunkers
These guys hold down the point, often 1v2ing or even 1v3ing long enough for people to rotate in. Guardians are currently the ‘meta’ when it comes to choosing a bunker class for a team but Warriors and Necros can also make for great Bunkers. It used to be required on any competitive team but that has changed since the Cele Meta (celestial amulet, it was added in a previous patch)

Power builds
Damage dealing is split up in two different forms, Power and Conditions. Power is a direct, immediate burst where Conditions are usually damage over time effects. There are some instances where Condi can be burst damage but condi is also susceptible to cleanse condition effects – completely negating the damage.
(High power builds utilizing Berserker amulet used to be meta but was considered “unhealthy” to the game. It’s why they added Cele and buffed certain sustain trees)

Bruiser Builds
Basically a class that doesn’t have enough sustains to be considered a Bunker and not enough dps to be considered a power build. These guys constantly applies pressure throughout a team fight, lasting as long as they can on a point to either receive help, or peel away to help some one else. The best Bruisers are the ones who can act as a bunker and 1v2ing classes as well as have high rotational mobility. It’s why Cele Dagger Ele (cele d/d ele) have been receiving so much heat. Teams have based their entire compositions on them and won tournaments.

That’s basically it. Certain classes can do things better than others but they can all be configured to be the same role. People play GW2 PvP because it can be very competitive. Strictly speaking, Tournaments. Otherwise, it’s super casual – playing mainly for titles and skins. The casual playerbase are finally getting a League system. The Veteran PvP players who got their title and skins all too quickly, are going to be able to craft PvP specific Legendary gear ^.^

Thanks a lot to Curunen.8729 and Teutos.8620 for the info and finally Saiyan.1704 for taking time and effort to explain this stuff extensively. I will for the time being try the Shoutbow Warrior Build and wait for HoT to see how the Revenant class works as such.

Hope to meet the three of you in game as well.