Breakfast Topic: AV play style poll
by Amanda Dean 
Feb 24th 2008 at 8:00AM
I have a confession to make. I love doing
Resto or Holy (depending on class) defending a flag is a terrible waste of healing. I'm more of a speed bump than a defender. I don't kill much as Resto. I do my best, and I can stay up for a while. Hopefully some DPS will show up before I drop. I would much rather be on the front lines, healing the assault forces. I prefer to rush forward and facilitate forward momentum with my heals.
There are usually people on battleground chat yelling orders: "Need more on D;" "Get the towers;" And so forth. It seems that a balance of offense and defense are necessary to win the battleground. I just can't bring myself to play D. I don't see that changing any time soon, even with battleground updates coming with patch 2.4.
What's your strategy for winning in Alterac Valley?| Rushing the general | |
|---|---|
| Systematically take towers | |
| Defence | |
| Fighting on the road | |
| AFK | |
| I don't play AV |
Filed under: Shaman, Polls, PvP, Breakfast Topics, Battlegrounds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Seamus Feb 24th 2008 8:08AM
I play defense as well (Disc. priest). I have fond memories (from December 2006, sadly) of some thrilling battles on the bridge defending the Alliance general. I keep going in, hoping to re-create those moments but sadly it is as you said: just me defending a flag or a tower. I hold them off as long as I can and always feel like I've succeeded in slowing down the Horde just long enough....when we win.
Tran Feb 24th 2008 8:20AM
It depends on who I'm with in AV as to what I do. If I can convince at least a few people to defend Balinda, then I'll sit on Def for probably the majority of the match, although on my warlock its all about pushing for the towers and galv.. (even tanked him once hehe)
doyesac Feb 24th 2008 8:45AM
I hate to say it, but my playstyle consists of yelling in /bg "We need more D! More D!" and getting in childish arguments over the best (only?) way to win AV.
I love the epic battles that can happen on D. It used to be the huge skirmish around Frostwolf GY, and recently shifted to hard-fought, desperate attempts to fight off the Alliance from zerging straight to the Relief Hut. But currently the hot strategy is to try to out-zerg the Alliance, and so we natural defenders get crushed and have little to no chance to actually buy our offense any time.
Nick S Feb 24th 2008 1:39PM
completely with you, man. i often go on D only to get steamrolled without causing any more problems for the allies than a quick freeze or two.
C.A. Feb 24th 2008 9:04AM
I usually try to play D (Horde) because it helps overall and that is what we are usually lacking on my battlegroup. If there is a decent defense going and they aren't dying for help, I will head to towers, then the general (avoiding the road).
The thing about a good defense though, is that you can rack up quite a few kills and honor if you have the bottleneck secured. Plus, there is nothing more fun than 3 Horde causing the entire Alliance offense to wipe on Galv.
rahlnir Feb 24th 2008 9:08AM
Epic moments in AV are few and far between these days.
I think rewards, buffs and honor need to encourage more of a balanced strategy. Healing also needs some added HK incentive, especially if HKs wont have diminishing returns.The action, on O and D needs to make group participation a bit more satisfying too.
Siege weapons ftw!
Jester602 Feb 24th 2008 9:09AM
:( I am sad.
I do not see my play-style up there. Well, I play in a different way, I like to gather up all the supplies and I like to upgrade our guys by turning in the scraps, getting the ice lord or even summoning the fleet ALL BY MYSELF. Though there is no one to help me, I ask if I can have the supplies off the dead bodies of people and once enough, I use my new teleporter thingie to go back to Frostwolf. Then I proceed to turn 'em in and get alot of different kinds of reputation.
Ircasha Feb 25th 2008 5:38PM
As much as I hate to say it, your current playstyle is pretty much a waste of time these days, as very few games last long enough for any of the upgrades to make a difference. And good luck getting enough people to summon Lok/Ivus, even if you managed to get enough blood to turn in.
You would contribute more by defending flags/towers or the initial defense at the RH (since Alliance usually just rush the RH with 30+ these days).
That being said, if you're after rep, thats a good way to do it. I ground to Exhalted with FW in the old 6+ hour AVs back in the Stone Age of WOW.
Gido202 Feb 24th 2008 9:51AM
Usually Alliance AV is a mad rush to the Generals, picking towers along the way, who kills em first after burning all the O towers wins.. and yes D is a major part of it so on a nice raid usually 1 or 2 groups are tasked to D.. there are always 2 or more tough healer like a pally or a druid on the D side.. priests go to the O side.. a patrol group of 2 usually a Rogue and a Druid will try to guard the 2 towers after the bridge.. if someone reports that an advance party is there.. then 1 D group pummels them to death that is if the rogue and the druid cant take them.. then regroups with the rest after that.. retreating together as the enemy O tries to push one tower/flag after the other.. the primary objective of D is to slow the enemy O down.. so that your team gets to the General and kills him first.. :)
Always if possible take the mines..
and never take back the SH graveyard or it'll be hell for O.. hehehe..
And post at least 2 people to guard the taken towers until they burn.. there is also a roving group between IB and TP to go when an attempt to retake the towers are called and guard IBGY for a time..
If the horde defends IB.. thats another story.. :)
SaintStryfe Feb 24th 2008 9:51AM
As an Enhancement Shaman, I'm like tower attack and defense.
We're nearly perfectly set for it. Our totems cover the entire tower easily. It's even the rare time SENTRY TOTEM is useful. Tremor Totems prevent running, fire totems break up flag cap attempts, Grounding totems stop spells, and mana totems keep us powered.
The incredibly fast burst damage, with a few helpers, can keep a tower capped, or at least out of enemy hands till help can come. Powerful and fast.
Aces.
Ironhide Feb 24th 2008 10:57AM
as a Prot War, AV is the only BG where I can actually do some good. I love to rush up and tank the bosses. I rush the first guy, tank him, head to IBGY, assault that, rush to Drek assaulting anything along the way and get ready for the "ALL IN" call on Drek and try to tank him as much as possible.
I even taunt him off other people..hehe..
Any other BG i am at best left to defend something, or at worst a liability because the oppositiion tends to ignore me, and kill me last. I do crap for damage and am a pain to kill. I spend as much time as possible spell reflecting, disarming and interupting spells as possible. Throw in some AOE debuffs and thats about all I got.
I love AV, its usually fast, its good honor and as a tank I have a job in it.
Gido202 Feb 24th 2008 10:16AM
If the horde defends IB this is when it gets interesting.. and fun!
Since they will also have group which is on the O side and will try to take the towers.
Alliance will then have to send 1-2 groups back for D and create a choke point near Icewing bunker.
And as usual try to slow the horde down.
The rest of O will bypass Galv, since usually this is heavily defended.
And will try a mad dash to the RH, which is usually lightly defended.
Create a chokepoint between the two Frostwolf towers if successful, and wait till the two towers burn.
After the towers burn alliance will then take the other towers backwards in huge group since a group of horde will usually try and take it back, up until IB then take on Galv.
It is very important that you take at least one mine..
This is usually slow but its all fun if you have a nice group. :)
Gido202 Feb 24th 2008 10:23AM
oh and whatever happens always take RH first and fast.. :)
cause ive been in one too many AVs where people try to get the 2 towers first and hordes keep respwaning in RH.. :(
ScytheNoire Feb 24th 2008 11:02PM
It doesn't matter what style we play, because Horde loses AV constantly. You might get one or two wins a day, if you played for eight hours straight. AV record: 6-60. In the positive for the rest of the BG's, but not AV, Ruin battlegroup sucks at AV.
Mixx Feb 24th 2008 10:50AM
I must say that as someone that only recently started playing PvP that reading the posts here almost stopped me from even trying.
All the "Alliance can never win" posts can be very disheartening.
Needless to say I gave it a shot a few weeks ago & I just don't see what all the fuss is about. I have been running my Holy priest non stop in the all BG's (except EoS so I can't speak about that BG) and have been on considerably more winning teams than losing. About 75% winners if I had to guess. I am on Durotan, Battlegroup Ruin.
Not that I think I had anything to do with it mind you, I just threw around a few heals :0)~
Just wanted to post this to let people know that the Alliance does NOT always lose.
Cheers!
zedwards Feb 24th 2008 11:23AM
Exactly...people don't win if there is no healing! That should be a strategy for above. Then again...I have been stuck with too many healers a couple times which is kinda funny because we are all standing there waiting for someone to attack (so we can start healing)
Enli Feb 24th 2008 11:13AM
The only way to win, is not to play the game.
As in, I don't PvP.
dAnixx Feb 24th 2008 11:16AM
If i want my faction to win so I can get the honor marks, I usually stay in def, stealthed, and take the towers back (in the frostwolf keep). It works with me, never failed.
zedwards Feb 28th 2008 8:41PM
With the HK's I usually get more from healing (usually in top 5-10) as resto druid (on the bridge at DB) than if I was specced as moonkin zapping people. Maybe it is just my playing style but we also live a lot longer. People don't spot me easily either because my heals are insta-cast so I go on forever while running around ninja healing very thankful mages.
Lucas Feb 24th 2008 11:21AM
AFK + Waterbreating + running in circles in the pool near the alliance stronghold)