Guild Wars 2

What is going on with this map? Why do people seem to have the urge to have a messy fight on top of the orb? In the amount of time it takes to channel the orb, and run it all the way to one of the points, it will NEVER equal the amount of points you get from holding 2 points in that same time frame. So why do people insist on having 3 min fights on orb while getting double capped? And why am I the stupid one every time I bring this up to my teammates? Anyone?

Because since the orb gives a decent number of points all at one time, it entices people to want it. Instant gratification. Plus since it’s the unique mechanic for the map, people feel somewhat obligated to make use of it.

You’re right, holding two points will grant far more points in the long run than running the orb will. I like to suggest such a tactic to my team whenever I get Spirit Watch. However, the orb can help as well. If your team is successfully holding two points, then you might as well have the rest of your players go for the orb. Maybe send someone to decap their home.

So, that’s what I like to do. Bunk mid, bunk home (depending on the game), decap enemy home whenever it’s easy, then have the rest run the orb. For bonus fun, try to run the orb to their home just to keep as many of their players away from your two points as possible.

Might not be the best tactic, but it seems pretty reliable and when I get a team that follows along things usually go fairly well.

Simple math should tell you that the orb is the fastest way to score points. Holding a single point (30pts/minute) and continually running the orb to it (25pts/cap on held capture point) will outscore a 2-cap (60pts/minute) so long as you secure two orb caps per minute (turns into 80pts/minute) which isn’t that hard, specially if the other team isn’t trying to stop you. You could even use the orb to cut into your opponents score by capping the orb at one of their held points and create a potentially greater disparity in point accumulation – 60pts/minute becomes 30/pts minute vs your 70pts/minute so long as the second orb cap is run to a held point of your own (15/pts for decapping enemy point means you’ve only given up 10pts to cut your opponents scoring in half).

The counter is to work the point caps while creating a “net” of sorts with your team to prevent orb runners from capping – and even capping the orb for yourself after killing the runner – but you have to be able to stop the runner, which can be difficult (if not impossible) against certain builds.

It’s definitely a different style of conquest map compared to the ones in team q but it kinda kills me how much solo q struggles with understanding how the map works – which is where it devolves into a massive skirm on top of the orb spawn.

Tip: unlike most of the other maps, mid point has little-to-no tactical value on Spirit Watch. It’s too receded and enclosed to offer a view to the rest of the map, and is furthest from spawn making it the hardest to support. Bunking it is a generally a waste of time. Typically a “bunkers” best role on the map is to run the orb (you’re extremely hard to kill before getting the orb to the point – stability is massively strong) or holding the cap point that orb is being run to in order to make sure maximum points are taken from each cap.

Running orbs can actually be the fastest way to gain points depending on your build. While stealth, teleports and Swiftness all don’t work when you’re carrying the orb, gap closers and innate +25% speed boosts DO.

I can run an orb from the start to one of the side points within 10 or so seconds on my Ranger and Warrior, then make it back down to the start point to do it all again within another 4 seconds. Unimpeded, I can win a match within a few minutes doing nothing but running orbs if the rest of my team + the enemy team are busy fighting over the far/mid point.

Of course, if everybody else is having a slugfest at the orb location, then it’s much smarter to go off and cap the points while they’re fighting. It all comes down to the match’s individual circumstances.

Nobody likes going raven, so take a traited ranger with longbow, stand on the overlook platform and just Auto Attack people trying to channel the orb.

Not exactly a team strat but it’s a funny tactic.

I played a Spirit Watch last night and it occurred to me to check the map explanation at the start of the match to see if there was any way to glean any meaningful strategic information from it, and it’s turns out… you can’t lol! They don’t even tell you the values for capping the orb just that there’s a different response from capping it on a friendly point than an enemy one.

Why be so vague ANet??? Tell your players how to play the game! Why else have a window that pops up to provide map information? So you can confuse the players more? I’d say there’s room for improvement here.