Guild Wars 2

• Duo-queue only with your best friend — meta-paired builds and comms
• Peak hours / off hours — queue-dodging stronger players
• Counter-comp picks

Just throwing some ideas out there. I personally think I’m gonna avoid learning any new classes during the season and just stick to what I know. Probably won’t SoloQ at all during the season. I guess it just depends on the quality of the matches and whether I feel like I’m having any effect on my climbs or descents through skill rating.

What lessons did you learn from last season about the placement matches and how will you apply those lessons during Season 6?

What skill rating is good enough for you? It’s extremely unlikely to end up in Legendary, so is Platinum the “I made it” league? How do you feel about Gold?

Going to try to make it in the top 100 again. All I do is solo queue, so I’m not sure if top 25 will be possible. I will still try though.

I will also try to help guildies with their PvP matches and see if I can help them grow.

What lessons did you learn from last season about the placement matches and how will you apply those lessons during Season 6?

I learned that getting to the top of the leaderboard is hard. MM is terrible because the player pool is small and player skill widely varies. You have to be good at so many things to be solid in conquest. I learned that playing “Meditrapper” instead of my weird scepter/sword build will help carry my team a lot harder. Placement matches… Idc about them. I can win them or lose them… I know they won’t hold me back. What I’m more concerned about is consistently getting equal matches. I don’t want to go against two duo queues with a team of full solos. That part of MM ANet can control but won’t…

What skill rating is good enough for you? It’s extremely unlikely to end up in Legendary, so is Platinum the “I made it” league? How do you feel about Gold?

Anything off of the leaderboard is unacceptable to me. I am a casual, but I love competing. Like I mentioned earlier, I want to be at least in the top 100. Platinum is not the “I made it” league to me. Legendary is. It’s harder to hit it in NA because the population is small.

I will stick to my two classes and it will depend on the matches. If 80% get blowouts where i feel it´s RNG from MM then i might not care and maybe stop after getting enough shards … I play solo and duo Q. Lets see. Having a class lock on Q and class leaderboard would have motivated me to fight for a rank with my main but now i might not care …

I am going to play whatever I like but is effective. I’ve spent my spare time off season to test out some new non-meta and meta builds. Also play solo because I can and I will.
Oh I’ve noticed that unranked off season is bad in quality (lots of PvE players), but ranked off-season is glorious, but you have to wait a little bit more for matches.
However I’ve got a good vibe about this season, despite some unecessary (in my point of view) buffs for certain classes.
For some reason however I’ve got a lot of instable internet connection both in my dorm and back at home so playing ranked on random ping spikes is not advised for anyone.
As for ranks, as much as I don’t like it, I think that legendary is the top tier while platinum/gold are mid tier. Why is that? In platinum you may still find a fair ammount of people who don’t know how to rotate, how to disengage from combat and just sponge up the damage to die off point. Such people made it to plat playing a meta cheese and just having a tough resolve to farm up to platinum on a more than 50% winrate.
So in my book gold is mid but not really different than platinum.

Solo Queue here aiming for Platinum! Trying my hardest to get there :P

Aiming for early platinum on thief, solo queue only. I couldn’t play as much as I wanted last season and ended up in gold 2 ( I was aiming for gold 3 ).

Some of my guildies and friends are about the same level as me, getting ahead of them is one of my main motivation.

Trying to get Platinum again. Should be easier for me now since decay does not increase volatility anymore. This little feature screwed me really hard after holidays while others abused it…

The meta does not excite me at all. Probably trying out some funnier builds instead of the ultra-predictable-not-even-that-good standard setups.

Placements went very smooth in s5. The best two matches I had in s5 were placements. I started queuing on the first weekend into season, not on day one. So I dodged those ultra tryhards probably.

DuoQ still gives you advantage right now, because you have one kittened player less in your team. I don’t know if this is a good thing. I like queuing with my buddy, but a serious ladder system should incentivise soloQ. At least only allow duoQ with players that are at maximum one division apart.

On second thought a kittenload of crazy good games just came out (zelda,horizon,nier…). Will be a tough season

Wow, I’m surprised at all the positive comments so far! Thanks for your comments.

• It’s interesting that most people seem happy with reaching Platinum.
• I definitely agree that DuoQ is a firm advantage over SoloQ, provided you’re both happy with the skill-level of the pair.

beatthedown.2651:

The meta does not excite me at all. Probably trying out some funnier builds instead of the ultra-predictable-not-even-that-good standard setups.

@beatthedown I totally like that you intend to have fun with some inventive builds. Imagine that! Fun in a video game! xD

• I think anyone that wants to compete should study the meta-builds, but not be afraid to deviate. The unpredictability can be strong enough to swing duels through a whole match.

I’ll stick to power Rev and try to complete all the PvP map achievements carrying my teammates to the Hell of Salty Tears in the proccess.

Is the first season in which don’t have interest in new builds or rewards, so brace yourselves, repent sinners!

I played solo last season. Floated around mid gold on both accounts. I’m perfectly happy with that. Figure I’ll probably do the same thing this season.

I just play for the enjoyment of playing. Yes, I grind my teeth at my teammates (often), but meh, what can you do? I’m perfectly happy with gold.

I am going to try my absolute hardest, like I do every single season I play in. In season 5 I got 97 on the leaderboard which means I also got legendary division. Although I may solo early in the season, as a rule I am not going to solo queue so I will only be playing in a duo with other top-level players in EU (by that I don’t mean world champion quality, but the type of people that are easily good enough for legendary and maybe good enough for pro league).

Any less than legendary division and top 100 is absolutely awful for me. I will be extremely disappointed with even number 120 or so. This season I am aiming for top 25 but if I don’t get that I will not be too upset.

As for platinum being the ‘I did well’ division, I disagree. Anyone can get into platinum, and I mean anyone with enough effort. As long as you try your hardest and play decent builds and ACTUALLY TRY TO IMPROVE, anyone can get there. The only real ‘good division’ in my opinion is legendary because you can safely assume that every player there is pretty good, with only a few exceptions. Platinum players can be as bad as a 4v5 in some cases.

Duoing wont help nearly nearly as much as people think especially if your friend isnt as good as you are. For one thing I am pretty sure there is something in the matchmaking algorithm that increases your rating for matchmaking purposes for being in a duo. People should definitely not play classes they aren’t totally competent on I mean that is just common sense as there isn’t class specific MMR. The whole idea of playing matches in ranked and not taking it seriously really bothers me because there are four other people on your team that imo you owe it to take it seriously. If not there is unranked.

I stepped foot in PvP for the first time in mid-season 5 (and went with unranked to get to lvl 20), so this will be my first actual league! I’ve done reasonably well in my opinion, after all I have 1000 hours clocked into WvW so dueling and GvG are very familiar to me.

I’m really not sure about my actual skill level though since there’s no ranking system off-season, but I’m hoping to reach Gold. Will be mostly going solo, possibly with some guildies.

Just doing dailies… in ranked…that’s how hard.

same as last season, i won’t end up playing frequently enough to do anything but climb out of bronze then decay back.

Not gonna try at all, sitting, playing and watching movie at the same time. No point until developers not gonna balance skills… So just farming time Still, this game will never be eSports for that we have lol

Kreweless.2196:

What skill rating is good enough for you? It’s extremely unlikely to end up in Legendary, so is Platinum the “I made it” league? How do you feel about Gold?

I reached Platinum in past seasons with little effort, stopped there and went to WvW.

Will be doing the same next season – like every season.

Hevoskuuri.3891:

I stepped foot in PvP for the first time in mid-season 5 (and went with unranked to get to lvl 20), so this will be my first actual league! I’ve done reasonably well in my opinion, after all I have 1000 hours clocked into WvW so dueling and GvG are very familiar to me.

Welcome to PvP! The gametype should benefit from your being here.

Sharen Graves.1276:

Just doing dailies… in ranked…that’s how hard.

Yikes. But I guess you have the right to play how you want.

Super duper hard with cherries on top.

Hevoskuuri.3891:

I stepped foot in PvP for the first time in mid-season 5 (and went with unranked to get to lvl 20), so this will be my first actual league! I’ve done reasonably well in my opinion, after all I have 1000 hours clocked into WvW so dueling and GvG are very familiar to me.

I’m really not sure about my actual skill level though since there’s no ranking system off-season, but I’m hoping to reach Gold. Will be mostly going solo, possibly with some guildies.

Well, after 2 victories and 8 defeats, I think it’s safe to say my dreams about Gold can go out the window unless something changes drastically. It’s only been 10 games, but judging by these it feels like it’s simply impossible to solo-Q and win.

I’m not the kind of person to always blame the teammates, but oh boy, in 7/10 matches they were outright horrible! I made some mistakes too for sure, but at least I didn’t engage in pointless 3v1’s or go cap close point with 4 people at the match beginning. It seemed like these players had not the faintest idea of tactics, rotation or anything PvP really. I don’t care about stomping the enemy team or even winning, but I’d really appreciate an even matchup that’s actually exciting and enjoyable. I want to have fun!

Maybe there’s hope for me yet though! I got tossed in Bronze 3, and the climb to Silver shouldn’t be impossible. Maybe the match quality will rise a notch? A man can dream.

Well, that’s off my chest now. How’s everyone’s ten first games?

Season 5 was my first ever season of PvP. I played PvE from release. I learned a great deal and also still learning. I don’t go for professions that many say are OP but instead roll what I am already good at and getting better.

So season 6: I will try for silver lol. Who knows I may end up higher but that depends on many factors as was mentioned above you are stuck with different skill level people.

I will continue to watch videos and read what others are saying to be more effective as a player. I do not care they left DUO queue in as the titles are rewarded individually BUT I have struck up a friendship with a decent player and will break down and DUO since it is available and seems to better your chances at winning.

Look forward to seeing you all there!

Not at all. If you have no chance to get firs to the race, why bothering over-exerting yourself? Just run at your on pace and have fun.

I don’t have a system or a connection decent enough to play at any frame rate that would allow me to react, so I play predicting. In GW1 that worked really great, but in GW2 it’s impossible to get far like that with all the spammity spam.

So I’ll just try and get me some skins and lamas.

Last season reaching legendary and top100 was enough for me. This season i will probably just do some matches when i feel like it and if i have high enough rank but not enough matches i will just fill it out.

If matchmaking is still the same as in season 5, I’ll most likely skip this season and focus on learning new classes, lingering mostly between Bronze-Gold divisions. Maybe I’ll go all out at the end of season.

I’m still debating whether or not to play the season.

Hevoskuuri.3891:

How’s everyone’s ten first games?

Calling it quits for the night after SoloQing to 4 wins and 3 losses, but we had a d/c during one of the losses. I’m gonna wait until reset to see if it’s still there.

Probably not at all since they completely took away any incentive to play.

Ithilwen.1529:

I’m still debating whether or not to play the season.

You soo should play this season. I know you want to. I mean what else are you going to play?

Brigantia.5746:

Probably not at all since they completely took away any incentive to play.

You still get rewards for playing atm. They just nearly take the same effort in PvP to get as in PvE. The ascended gear from PvP is still a little bit faster in my opinion. But meh who cares.

Kreweless.2196:

Sharen Graves.1276:

Just doing dailies… in ranked…that’s how hard.

Yikes. But I guess you have the right to play how you want.

Between players like that guy and ANet’s stance towards these blatant trolls that ruin the whole experience for many in Ranked. Is the same reason why I just can’t be ask to take it serious. Try hard, carry the match only to still lose because of a troll in ranked who not trying at all to help the team win. Just there to afk farm dailies.

When ANet adopt a punishment system like all of the other competitive PvP games I current play. Then we start talking about me try harding or caring. But as of now, nope not even worth sweating over.

Rewards are the same but harder to get, builds are more or less the same as they were a year ago, top players have already quit, lot of matches are 4v5s and nothing’s being done about it. I don’t see why anyone’d try at all. I’ll play a couple of games a week maybe but that’s it.

suffish.4150:

As for platinum being the ‘I did well’ division, I disagree. Anyone can get into platinum, and I mean anyone with enough effort. As long as you try your hardest and play decent builds and ACTUALLY TRY TO IMPROVE, anyone can get there.

Clearly NOT. This is totally wrong, sorry. And maybe patronizing too.

I will be more than happy to end gold, personnaly, and it will clearly be “I did VERY well”.

Probably not at all. With every patch and Anet posts (stupid sigil changes anyone?) i have less and less reasons to play this game.
It also doesn’t help that issue with top 5s farming team of golds for easy ranks is not fixed. If you actually want to climb you would have to duoq at like 5 am. I have normal job and no time for such bs.
Did 2 matches yesterday, same crap: decap things, kill things, we have 200 pts advantage – nope, let’s zerg 1 guy on some point all match and lose all advantage. Who cares about pings! Somehow the MM expects me to win 1v4 fights for my team.

Played placement, same place as last season. After loosing 500 to 21 at one match I see no point in playing pvp. I’m loosing interest in this game overall.

I will probably end my classement matches on High plat like last season and I would stop playing the game..

I am trolling it on shatter mesmer

Got placed in platinum at 1803 rating after 10 matches with my alt account, not gonna tryhard tho because i only play for rewards and u get pips for losing so idgaf.

Sublime Le Peasant.1932:

I will probably end my classement matches on High plat like last season and I would stop playing the game..

I am trolling it on shatter mesmer

I’ve played against your shatter mesmer in ranked a few hours ago. Lol, I have to say. That was some great stuff right there. You sent me packing on my druid twice that match in less then 3 seconds. I have to give it to you.

So far I’ve done about 12 out of the 20 matches I promised some people I’d do in GW2 this season. Out of my 10 placement matches. The two I did really really well in and made a bid to carry my team. Resulted in a loss from more then likely trolls on smurf accounts being paid gold to throw. I was rewarded for all my effort with 4 to 5 top stats in those two matches, and a lose of 20 plus ratings.

A honest question to the elite PvPers that can 1v4 and hold two points at the same time by themselves. Please tell me, what is yalls edge? How do yall do it? The best I’ve been able to do is hold point for my team in a 1v3 while others fight off points or die instantly 2v1ing a necro. Please I’m begging for a answer! Pretty please with a cherry on top. I’ll upload the videos to my youtube channel as always later on. Even got a engi in one of my matches who idled at home for 3/4 of a match, in one of the videos.(Priceless ) Had another video of a match where 3 of my team mates spent around %85 of the match died. ( Don’t think I laughed so much before, at a ranked PvP system in a game).

I am in no shape or fashion blaming my team mates for my loses anymore. I’m just trying to understand, the reasoning behind the high loss of rankings from the silly matches. Maybe it was my fault for queuing up in the first place? Oh well anyways w/e. I do hope so people respond to my first two questions tho.

Ah.. 8 or 9 more Ranked matches to complete my pledge. (20 Ranked Matches for season 6)

After about 30 games in and Silver 1, I have decided NOT to solo que at all, unless I reach the sweet sweet Gold. In five previous games, someone has logged out in the beginning of the match, there’s been 4 rangers in our team with no one rerolling, and just generally lousy gameplay you would expect by beginners in unranked matches. I am generally wondering how people solo-q their way to the top? With incredible luck? Or does the game focus more on individual skill of the player instead of matches won or lost?

Anyways, thankfully I found a bunch of decent people earlier, and will be playing with them whenever they are online.

I felt I’d share my Season 6 SoloQ Placement results for a few reasons:
• 7 out of 10 were pretty close, some even had dramatic comebacks
• Notice how volatile the rating changes are, and how they throttle back over time
• It was relieving to see the d/c loss didn’t result in lost skill rating, you have to wait until the next day’s reset to see the results

I’m starting off this season in Silver 3 — not the best, but I’m looking forward to climbing again. Last season I SoloQ’d from 1248 to 1435, and I was generally happy with that.