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PVP Cleric
hwlrmnky
Member Posts: 90
I'm a long-time PC gamer but this is my first MMO. I'm thinking of trying PvP but I'm having a hard time finding answers to my most basic questions because, I think, the game assumes that I'll already know more than I do. I don't though; I'm a complete novice. I did try a search of the forums but the terms "pvp" plus "FAQ" or "beginner" got me nowhere.
1. I'm a cleric, not yet level 60 thus sans epic gear. Let's assume I'll die during the match. Before I die, what should I try to get done? Do my debuffs/healing effects persist for any amount of time after I go down?
2. I have read that the goal of PvP is to gain/maintain control of literal physical points. So, once we're in the match, what's more important for a cleric? Trying to reinforce friendly territory or trying to damage the enemy?
3. If I die can my team still win?
4. How long do PvP matches last, generally?
5. How soon after entering the arena do we commence battle? Is there time for a strategy conference? Do people on the same team bother/have time to talk?
6. Does my companion go with me?
I'd really appreciate the insight of PvP veterans.
1. I'm a cleric, not yet level 60 thus sans epic gear. Let's assume I'll die during the match. Before I die, what should I try to get done? Do my debuffs/healing effects persist for any amount of time after I go down?
2. I have read that the goal of PvP is to gain/maintain control of literal physical points. So, once we're in the match, what's more important for a cleric? Trying to reinforce friendly territory or trying to damage the enemy?
3. If I die can my team still win?
4. How long do PvP matches last, generally?
5. How soon after entering the arena do we commence battle? Is there time for a strategy conference? Do people on the same team bother/have time to talk?
6. Does my companion go with me?
I'd really appreciate the insight of PvP veterans.
Post edited by hwlrmnky on
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Comments
1 i don't think so, when you die your buff and debuff run out and even if they don't they don't last that long anyway. although i would appreciate an answer from a veteran because it would be interesting to know for sure if your healing last a bit after you died.
2 yes in order to win you have to have at least two point capped for your team most of the time (the team earn point based on how much capped points you have over time). in other games i played the most important thing was defending the points avoid useless combat in the streets (unless it is to prevent an enemy to go near a point already capped) and of course taking a second point and try to stall enemies into have just one capped or zero. although the game i payed before didn't have roles so everybody could fullfill any role (with different style based on class of course) and defend a point solo for a while (just the time to call for help in voice chat or game chat). so i don't know what a healer should do. in this game cleric can both heal (very little though) and dps, with some small control. so my guess is to try to be a support for your teammates. i have been killed by everybody solo so far (but i maybe just that bad with the cleric) and never managed to outheal the damage or resist a control wizard, but the situation change the second at least another player come to help.
3 sure, you'll be revived soon after and you can run back to the fight. it is based on point capped after all, the thing would be different in case of deathmatch where if you die you cannot respawn unless somebody can ress you some way.
also there is a small window before you are definitely defeated when a team mate no matter the class can revive you.
4 it is about 10 minutes or even less, really depend on the match. i really didn't check but the timer should be no more than 15 minutes. the first team that reach 1k points befor the countsown wins
5 not really much time for a debriefing, it's a matter of seconds. i tried in this game only pug pvp though and as far as i can tell people don't bother at all to talk, i don't know if this is due to inexperience (i just recently entered the lv 30-39 tier in pvp), shyness, or just because they don't care and they want the daily done. but it feels strange with an in game voice chat that nobody really uses it even if it would work wonders (i don't use it because i really feel awkward being so new to the game trying to take over with strangers, i look forward though to try some organized pvp match in a guild in the future maybe). i'm almost sure that organized pvp team talk a lot and win more than pug
6 nope. in pvp companion will be desummoned, but you can use your mount if you have one (not that is really required)
edit: anyway, just try it, in time you'll get how it works better than somebody can explain on paper. and don't worry if you lose matches i think everybody in a pug just expect that the chances of winning (especially against pre organized teams are low and so far i never saw insults or blame in chat, this is the most relaxed pvp experience i ever had so far)
Only in premade groups, usually via an external chat program(Vent, Raidcall, skype, etc). The best you can expect in a pug is someone announcing they're going to 3 instead of 2 or something.
Thank you for posting a decent question in a courteous manner, we will love to help our community grow in the PvP arena...
1. Before you end up dying, your goal as a cleric can be any number of options depending on how you are built. I would expect you went for a defense / deflection / crit strike focus for prime heals and survivability. It is the most generic route to go for clerics, so I will assume this. Follow your teammates, stick close to them and do your best to keep them alive. you WILL get focused, you WILL die and you WILL be frustrated, However, if you have decent defense / deflection you can survive an initial onslaught and keep yourself alive with Astral Shield / Healing Word / Bastion of Health / Sunburst or any number or combination of healing + protection. Your team should focus on sending 1 person to your node and the rest of the people to 2..once 2 is secured, your strongest person goes to the enemy node to attempt to secure that.
2. As a cleric your prime goal is keeping your team alive while securing the point. How to win a pvp match is ALWAYS contest a node, even if you know your going to your death, you get on that node and make sure it is contested so the other team does not get any points while you are on it.
3. Yes..you will die...alot.
4. Fast matches are about 5 minutes..the hot and heavy end game pvp ones can go for 30 minutes with nodes being contested constantly.
5. There is a short wait time while the zone assigns players and people zone in / patch... after that a countdown proceeds from 5 to Fight
6. No companions are allowed in PvP
Signed Respectfully,
Veteran TR of over 20,000 kills and hundreds of matches.
Do not neglect the defensive side of your build. Defense / deflection / regen / +hit points. Some focus on 1 or 2, others try to balance 3 or even 4. Be aware of the diminishing returns on stacking stats - I believe all apart from power & hit points provide diminishing benefits that become quite noticeable post 2200-ish. Racial or ability bonuses are generally added as flat % on top - making them quite valuable (e.g. halfing deflect 3%, dex deflect .5% per point above 10). The required gear is typically cheap, blue, and available from the Auction House. Rank 5 enchants are either easily craftable or cheap to buy - use them on your first set of 60 gear. You need every ounce of damage mitigation you can get, because without it, even with awesome healing gear, outhealing the damage you will receive while being controlled repeatedly is just not an option.
Unless you are lucky enough to be able to rely on the kindness of strangers (or a guild premade), the glass cannon approach (power / crit / recovery and all damage encounters) very much ascribes to the motto of "better to burn out than to fade away". If you kill them before they get to you - great. And specced right a DC can do some ridiculous damage. If not - prepare to have a sharp pointy inserted somewhere uncomfortable repeatedly and wake up next to the campfire. Oh - and they usually don't come alone when they see a cleric.
Do not blindly choose heroic or paragon feats based on them sounding good. Many of the tool tips are wildly misleading and/or just completely wrong. Do some forum post searches to learn about the good/bad/just plain useless feats to get/avoid. Same for encounter skills.
Learn opponent animations, and/or encounter rotation timings, and pre-dodge accordingly (pre-pre-pre dodge if you have high latency). No better damage mitigation than a dodge, and hopefully it sets you up with a second or two to do something useful.
A healing word ticking before you are engaged is good. No waste - they grow back. A healing word you saved that you now cannot use because you are clutching your throat and dangling in the air while a deranged half/orc is sawing off your legs is bad. Same for astral shield, divine armor, hallowed ground etc, within reason. Always cast on allies if you can - who cares if they are full health - they won't be in approximately 1.8 seconds when the zerg hits town.
Fight on the cap point. It's not about killing, it's about getting and keeping. Seriously. It's ok to die alone on a point to meaningfully delay capture. But it's less useful if you leave your team short because you repeatedly spam yourself solo into the waiting arms of the 4 opponents sitting on a cap. Get backup.
Don't get too discouraged when you get your nether regions handed to you repeatedly and with prejudice the first zillion times you pug pvp. It may get better. It also may not depending on how you go. Good luck!
It's good to know that a build doesn't have to be one or the other, PvP or PvE. I actually have read many of the threads over in the cleric forum and learned a lot but there, as in other parts of the forum, the discussion jumps off from a more advanced conceptual point than I currently inhabit. Consequently, sometimes I can't understand the points being made--or couldn't; I expect to understand more on second perusal now that I've gotten my "absolute beginner" info from this thread.
herk412, your response contains many gems! I hope other novice PvP-ers will find it.
gudgeonator, thank you for the extensive cleric-specific tips and philosophical approach.
What I didn't get was frustrated. I'm not sure why; perhaps the novelty of it all? Or possibly, since there is no actual physical pain associated with these losses (unlike some other competitions in which I've been) they are easy for me to shrug off? Anyway, when the inevitable match comes where my team is made of bots and quitters I'm just going to keep being a nuisance to the opposing team until they win. My Holy Skateboard means they don't hit me every time...just regularly.