Guild Wars 2

Hi! I’ve recently become an enthusiast in strategy and tactics. I began reading books like 33 Strategies of War, Art of War and The Book of Five Rings, and I’m itching to apply what I’ve learned, to the WvW battlefield.

However, since I’m an amateur when it comes to understanding anything when it comes to strategy, I’m at a loss. On top of this, warfare in real life vs warfare in a game where there are so many limitations; really seem to differ.

Since I need time to gather 350g to buy a commander tag anyways, I was curious to learn and hear from other experienced commanders who have been leading in WvW for a long while. Specifically the strategy behind leading small groups, as my friends are in two low populated servers: Anvil Rock and Ferguson’s Crossing.

In the meantime, I hope to study the map and wait for some good advice! Thank you for your time ^^

Strategy and Tactics? As you stated, real warfare doesn’t translate into this very well. In fact, real war is boring a lot of the times. Just watch Das Boot (movie about life on a German U-boat).

If you want to win I am afraid it’s less about tactics. If you want to have fun that’s also another story.

For “winning” if it’s even applicable:

1. Don’t die, it gives the team a point.
2. Attack unoccupied objectives, you waste less time and potentially die less.
3. Have more numbers in people, items, supply, siege, and anything really.
4. Stomp for more points.
5. Buy guilds to fill dead time-zones because Coverage and population wins (harder to do nowadays)

Now ask, are any of these things fun? I have my preferences, but it’s up to you!

The link below is outdated, but gives you some tips at least for commanding. I read it when I first started and it gave some good insight. Good luck bud.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3RD81iMFeA7Vy1QUHZPWGNjZ2c/view

Strategy in WvW? hmm… get with a commander that knows how to run a blob; get into ts so you can follow his/her commands quickly; shoot to kill and don’t die. For the most part it’s simply a case of putting on your borg gear and listening to the voices in your head blessing your for accepting your assimilation without much struggle.

THAT is the way of WvW these days.

Chinchilla.1785:

Strategy and Tactics? As you stated, real warfare doesn’t translate into this very well. In fact, real war is boring a lot of the times. Just watch Das Boot (movie about life on a German U-boat).

If you want to win I am afraid it’s less about tactics. If you want to have fun that’s also another story.

For “winning” if it’s even applicable:

1. Don’t die, it gives the team a point.
2. Attack unoccupied objectives, you waste less time and potentially die less.
3. Have more numbers in people, items, supply, siege, and anything really.
4. Stomp for more points.
5. Buy guilds to fill dead time-zones because Coverage and population wins (harder to do nowadays)

Now ask, are any of these things fun? I have my preferences, but it’s up to you!

I’d imagine attacking unoccupied objectives would be preferable. However, due to the ‘swords’ icon appearing on the map, it notifies enemies that the objective is currently besieged by us.

How about splitting the zerg into a small group to attack other important objectives that we are more likely to attack, buying us time!

I’ve noticed that the members of a zerg tend to attack anything in sight out of boredom. If the small group were to split from spawn and leave behind a trail of red (in the case where I’m in red team), then the tag would be more inclined to go there than to us!

Thank you! I’ll look into that!

The link below is outdated, but gives you some tips at least for commanding. I read it when I first started and it gave some good insight. Good luck bud.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3RD81iMFeA7Vy1QUHZPWGNjZ2c/view

Balthazzarr.1349:

Strategy in WvW? hmm… get with a commander that knows how to run a blob; get into ts so you can follow his/her commands quickly; shoot to kill and don’t die. For the most part it’s simply a case of putting on your borg gear and listening to the voices in your head blessing your for accepting your assimilation without much struggle.

THAT is the way of WvW these days.

Yes I’ve done that ^^
I’ve been able to learn tactics on how to beseige certain objectives.

Like the cata spot in EB where you can hit the base of a cliff that is situated below the tower near the nothern keep, where there are ascalonian ghosts and a giant worm near the keeps facade. It impressed me how you could take advantage of the splash damage despite the wall being above the cata.

However, rarely did the tag ever mention strategic ideas behind their choice of manouvers

Hwarang.4789:

I’d imagine attacking unoccupied objectives would be preferable. However, due to the ‘swords’ icon appearing on the map, it notifies enemies that the objective is currently besieged by us.

I assumed you were asking from the perspective of a smaller server matchup. If it’s a paper objective with twoish superior catas those white swords shouldn’t be enough time.

Hwarang.4789:

How about splitting the zerg into a small group to attack other important objectives that we are more likely to attack, buying us time!

I don’t know how many people are in your match-up if you can afford to split up. The ideas still apply: don’t give the enemy points per kill, and undefended objectives would be easier for the split groups.

Hwarang.4789:

I’ve noticed that the members of a zerg tend to attack anything in sight out of boredom. If the small group were to split from spawn and leave behind a trail of red (in the case where I’m in red team), then the tag would be more inclined to go there than to us!

I suppose? It would depend if you can out cap said enemy zerg. It would basically be a Ktrain race. Ktrain is like a loop of events to farm if you needed reference.

Regardless, you need to understand that I am biased against pure objective game play. To me that style is like playing against a time gate (the wall or gate itself) to fight mediocre npcs (all the auto attack damage sponge AI inside).

I do not care about the winning the score, because playing only that way doesn’t stimulate my fun factor. :S

It is funny how people automatically think blobbing as a zerg will win you the match. As with real warfare, every aspect is a factor in victory. A zerg of 50 pugs will be decimated by an organised elite group of 20. A 5 man tower group can fend off a 50 man zerg with the right siege placement.

Lahmia.2193:

It is funny how people automatically think blobbing as a zerg will win you the match. As with real warfare, every aspect is a factor in victory. A zerg of 50 pugs will be decimated by an organised elite group of 20. A 5 man tower group can fend off a 50 man zerg with the right siege placement.

Care to enlighten me? :P

Lahmia.2193:

It is funny how people automatically think blobbing as a zerg will win you the match. As with real warfare, every aspect is a factor in victory. A zerg of 50 pugs will be decimated by an organised elite group of 20. A 5 man tower group can fend off a 50 man zerg with the right siege placement.

50 downed by 20… yep I’ve seen that… when you’re organized it’s pretty awesome.

As for 5 men in a tower? If they can hold off a group of 50 then that group of 50 is pretty bad.. lol… With that number the blob should be able to easily build any siege they need to take out the inside siege as well as take down a wall… from far enough away (read: trebs) that the catas and balli’s in the tower can’t touch them.

want to learn how to be a good commander join yak most of the guild on yak are small groups that work off one another to deal with large zergs.

Balthazzarr.1349:

Lahmia.2193:

It is funny how people automatically think blobbing as a zerg will win you the match. As with real warfare, every aspect is a factor in victory. A zerg of 50 pugs will be decimated by an organised elite group of 20. A 5 man tower group can fend off a 50 man zerg with the right siege placement.

50 downed by 20… yep I’ve seen that… when you’re organized it’s pretty awesome.

As for 5 men in a tower? If they can hold off a group of 50 then that group of 50 is pretty bad.. lol… With that number the blob should be able to easily build any siege they need to take out the inside siege as well as take down a wall… from far enough away (read: trebs) that the catas and balli’s in the tower can’t touch them.

Ok that last bit may have been a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point. Organisation or skill trump numbers, despite the fact that most people never complain about organisation or skill, only numbers.