Guild Wars 2

So I decided to shake everything up! I’ve gone and created an informative and comprehensive guide to how I see ROLES unfolding in the stronghold gamemode!

I am looking for all input and comments, especially people coming off of these roles creating some innovative builds!

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1knscaTX8

Cy’all on the battlefield,

Divok

With the current incarnation of stronghold which we tested a few days ago, it’s unlikely roles will develop much. With coordinated groups, the game mode is best played as a a PvE race and you win or lose based on how well you pull defending NPC guards away from your doobreakers in the first wave of supply.

Assuming ANet addresses that somewhat, here’s what I see:

• Damage Similar to conquest, but with a focus on sustained team fights over hit-and-run burst. There’s less need to move around the map in stronghold, and if you do, you’ll be doing it as a group with your support player(s).
• Support Similar to your team-fight bunkers in conquest. Their goal is keep everyone alive and kicking – both player and NPC. Instead of being on a point, they move with offensive NPC trains.
• Anti-NPC Specialist A damage player variant specializing in preventing offensive NPCs from destroying gates. Being ranged so that you can attack from inside the base is crucial. Damage will be more AoE-focused with CC geared toward stalling NPC attacks.

I don’t see these roles happening at all:

• Supply Runner The offensive NPCs are only effective in larger trains. Having one person shuttle supply back and forth causes the NPCs to string out too much and fall victim to cleave damage in team fights. Keeping one player behind also puts your team at a disadvantage in team fights. What will likely happen is that the offensive group will push until they stall, then all resupply and summon a new group of NPCs in a ball.

I see these roles as unlikely:

• Roamer/Ganker There’s little need for players to disperse around the map. If someone does go off solo, they can likely hold their own against burst players.
• Assault/Defense Someone that switches between lanes. The transit time is too long to do this constantly, and investing heavily in mobility weakens your impact once you get to a battle. If either attacking force stalls out, it will just retreat as a group, wipe the other assault force, resupply, and re-push.

dps/support escort for npcs, and 1 or 2 dps players on defense is all you need. with a healing shout warrior and good play you should be able to get through both doors with one of your first waves of doorbreakers, probably the first one. then just kill the lord. wvw builds are really good for the escort team.

also, you have the option of taking a mesmer so the team can channel 10 supply then portal back to make a 10 bomb dude wave faster than the other team. you wont want to bother with supply apart for the first 10, as you only need more npcs if your escort fails. game should be over before heroes spawn.

Exedore.6320:

I don’t see these roles happening at all:

• Supply Runner The offensive NPCs are only effective in larger trains. Having one person shuttle supply back and forth causes the NPCs to string out too much and fall victim to cleave damage in team fights. Keeping one player behind also puts your team at a disadvantage in team fights. What will likely happen is that the offensive group will push until they stall, then all resupply and summon a new group of NPCs in a ball.

Treb counters larger NPC groups.

runeblade.7514:

Treb counters larger NPC groups.

You would think, but no. DBs need at least two hits to kill and if you’re in a coordinated group, one person should be denying treb use anyway.

All awesome input cheers guys!

And special thanks to Exedore for the huge input here!

So My Thoughts:
Trebuchet – This is one of the core features of the Dev’s defense against the stream teams big group up and push tactics. Also it respawns pretty quickly, so the only effective way to deal with it is to harass the enemy off the treb, which isn’t easy if they have turrets protecting them while on sentinels amulet ^^

Mobility – I think if you don’t invest in mobility you will be greatly hindered. Even if you chose to group up rather than have distinct roles this map is incredibly long, especially in the late game. Also objectives are spread evenly across the entire map. Say you are distracted by a skirmish 10 seconds before the buff. If you have no mobility that is a free score for the enemy team.

Supply Runner – This was the most tentative of my roles. Even I myself didn’t believe it was a good idea until I tried it. As I say in the video, this roll only takes you through the first part of the game. After that you usually take the place of another damage dealer, but of the sneaky variety. With a Shadow Arts thief I actually solo’d the enemy lord while distracting another enemy player or two. I name them carriers because when they transition they have the potential to carry the game.

Roamer/Ganker – This is perhaps the role I was most excited about and will explain again. If you group up it is physically impossible to get every objective, so that is not an option. If you send 1 away while you group up then there is your target. And yes, 1 solo bunker wont instantly die to a DPS burst. But they wont be able to kill the roamer themselves. You either force a rotation (making another place on the map vulnerable) or you eventually kill them.

PvE Race Mentality – I am not sure as to the level you played at, but after watching back the games participated in by teams of equal and incredibly high skill players Lord Defending appeared easy. Which means after both gates are down there is no “pve race”, only a PvP race, as kills along with whoever wins the teamfight for the lord buff will conclude the match

Tactics – I am talking here about roles and roles alone. I know this will not encompass every tactic in the gamemode (such as spawning 10 DBs at once for a big push). But this is for your generic match, it is primarily for teams of solo queuers in order for people to have roles in the battlefield ^^ I know the teams of 5 top league players will be able to form complex strategies, I do not intend for this to be a basis for them. Rather a placeholder for the meta xD

Looking forward to yet more replies, thanks for the input all!

- Divok

P.S I have now included a strawpoll on the video which I will link here as well. Which role are you most looking forward to?
http://www.strawpoll.me/4151620