Guild Wars 2

How useful do you guys find portal when queuing solo? Let’s assume that you and only you are going to use it and that you can’t coordinate with your teammates in any way. If you can, great – but let’s assume not.

What are some of the use case scenarios you can see with portal? And what do you feel about its benefits vis a vis some other skill you could have taken?

A portal is always useful, even solo, but I personally feel like an extra utility is better (decoy or Mirror image or Mantra of distraction are always welcome). I start enjoying my portal when I play with at least 1 friend with me.

Depends on the map. Temple always.

It’s good for escaping when you are going to lose a fight, or by getting back to a point fast to defend it

Its also good for getting to distant locations faster. Its a huge mobility move. By using portal you can basically move yourself across the map instantly. Very useful for helping other teammates and capping points. Additionally, there are teammates who will use it, even in solo. For example, before solo matches at kylo I just tell my teammates that all the portals I set lead to clock tower. Also, lets not forget about the portal stomp. Useful? Not necessarily, too situational. However, if you are going to stomp, you might as well stomp with some style.

Zev.3407:

It’s good for:

• escaping when you are going to lose a fight,
• or by getting back to a point fast to defend it

^-Those two are the reason I would pick portal even for SoloQ.

Why I use portal even in solo q most of the time:

• Trolling a 2v1 far. Stalling for time, leading to a 2 cap in my favor. Port back to mid to finish the mid fight…
• Leaving a discreet portal at home and being able to get back there in case someone tries to backcap you. Most of the time, no one is looking to defend home (#soloqprobz) so it might as well be you.
• Escaping a fight either 1v1 or 1vX that you know you can’t win.

Portal is absolutely fantastic for solo play, if you learn to use it the right way. It’s spectacular for kiting and distracting obviously, if you wanted to apply “WvW” tactics to your SPvP play.

But everyone has pretty much said why it’s so fantastic here already. It’s really fast map travel. (And if you end up not using it, you need only wait 12 seconds to set it up again.) Plus it’s the perfect +1ing tool if you’re not using stealth. But props if you stealth, portal, blow something up that didn’t see it coming, and move on with your life.

It’s become one of my most-used skills. Typically I run MoD, Portal, Blink. Especially with Moa Morph, you can pull off some match-deciding plays.

I know that Ross Biddle carries teams. But sometimes, I carry Ross Biddle!

I’d like some particular use cases for portal. For example, if I cap close, leave a portal, go far and cap it, portal has already run out by then and so it’s useless.

Today I tried portal again, but went the whole game without being able to find a use for it.

Can you give some specific strategies – like where and when do you drop it and what conditions do you wait for to use it?

Run to far, decap. (Someone probably chasing after you, let them recap.) Place portal and run back to help mid. When the person chasing you finishes the cap and runs to mid, use port for quick decap and then back through the portal.

Cap close at start. Place portal. Run to mid to help, use portal if anyone attempts to backcap.

Place portal by buffs 20s in advance on temple for instant buff grab and hopefully get them before the enemy arrives.

If you like using the treb in kyhlo, quick repairs.

On foefire, when you’re team is on ~320 points place portal on mid and go break down the door. Spam “[Portal Entre] at mid!!!” in team chat and drop when your team is at 350. Pray people come with you.

And lots of general rotations, leaving one at mid after initial teamfight, running home and helping, see people attack mid, use port etc. I’m sure others will provide suggestions.

Coxy.5269:

Run to far, decap. (Someone probably chasing after you, let them recap.) Place portal and run back to help mid. When the person chases you finishes the cap and runs to mid, use port for quick decap and then back through the portal.

Cap close at start. Place portal. Run to mid to help, use portal if anyone attempts to backcap.

Place portal by buffs 20s in advance on temple for instant buff grab and hopefully get them before the enemy arrives.

If you like using the treb in kyhlo, quick repairs.

On foefire, when you’re team is on ~320 points place portal on mid and go break down the door. Spam “[Portal Entre] at mid!!!” in team chat and drop when your team is at 350. Pray people come with you.

And lots of general rotations, leaving one at mid after initial teamfight, running home and helping, see people attack mid, use port etc. I’m sure others will provide suggestions.

Thanks. Let me see if I can learn to use these strats effectively.

bhagwad.4281:

I’d like some particular use cases for portal. For example, if I cap close, leave a portal, go far and cap it, portal has already run out by then and so it’s useless.

Today I tried portal again, but went the whole game without being able to find a use for it.

Can you give some specific strategies – like where and when do you drop it and what conditions do you wait for to use it?

For the record, be extra careful when porting from close to far. The range is often too long, specifically on maps like Temple and Legacy. Should be safe enough on Forest.

The general rule of thumb is to port from close to mid or from far to mid.

It’s also not only a point-holding tool. Use it to get an ally out of a bind, or a safe distance for rezzing. Use it for sheer movement and kiting. It’s a really fun and unique tool. The fact that you can go back and forth a few times really adds some mind games to it.

All great advice – there are so many uses. Yes you learn very quickly to not even bother setting portal at home/far if you plan on heading far/home, respectively.

For forest, another common one is to set a portal at beast on your way to help the mid fight. If it’s stalemated or even won and the score is close, port a couple allies back with you for the quick kill/win.

It can also be very useful for trading places or placing allies where you want them to provide a numbers advantage. If you’re a zerker for instance and have a bunker on your team, you can essentially port that person around the map where you want them stationed. This is really nice since bunkers typically move like turtles.

Foe eles or somone using vamp runes, portal can be used while in mist form to help them escape.

Just had a team portal mid to enemy base last night to lord kill for win, sooo satisfying.

Some of this advice is really only feasible with comms but you can give orders in chat with regard to the portal and people will generally listen.

Also, I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but you can be sneaky with portal on maps with water/puddles. If you place it in the middle of a puddle, like the roads near Mine/Henge on Forest, the entrance is nearly invisible. My computer graphics aren’t the best, so I may be inaccurate and it could be completely invisible. Regardless, great kiting.

Also, try to place it near points, but out of LoS so that an enemy can’t start assaulting you right away when you’re porting to engage.

If you consider yourself a real mesmer u will NEVER give up your portal for anything in the world, thats how strong it can be even for solo use if u know ur game : P