Arena basics

[Daffyd]

Nice article on arena basics from the forums (reposted at pvpscene.com and linked on mmochampion too).

Forward:
I'm not the best arena player. I don't have the highest rated teams. I don't have the best gear. I'm posting on my undergeared, mediocre rated main. I fully expect a stream of people to click my armory, then explain to me how I'm wrong because my teams suck and my gear sucks. That's fine. For the rest of you, I encourage you to at least skim this over - these basic concepts are the foundation of any skilled arena team. Concepts that, unfortunately, my teammates are very slow to grasp.

For those of you who've stopped reading already, "Flame on" if you must. Congrats on getting this far, I'm sure the English language was tough for you to master.

Section I: Leadership
The most glaring error that almost every team makes, especially a team comprised of friends, involves discussing the plan of attack as a group. Each player gives their opinion and they eventually reach consensus. This strategy, first and foremost, leaves you incredibly susceptible to rush teams. Oftentimes it's possible to pull out a win simply because you can charge into your opponents' starting area and beat the living crap out of them before they realize what even went down.

I know this is a stretch, but give it a little thought. What if before each raid boss, all 25 people tried to discuss different ways to bring him down, then as a group, they pieced apart each individual element of the strategies to form one, powerful, omni-strategy.

Then repeat this every time they wipe.

This exaggeration, while out there, forms a clear picture of the problem these teams are facing. An arena leader should emphasize the same qualities as a raid leader. Namely?

1. Know the abilities your team has available.
2. Know the abilities your opponent(s) have available.
3. Know how to get things done.

Your teammates obviously can't be coached through the match. They have to be trustworthy and skilled in their own right. Regardless, there should only be one person calling out focus fire targets. Your plan should already involve who's controlling whom. Not everything goes perfectly, and your team should know how to handle this. When you play with sheep, being a strong, confident leader can go a long way.

Summary: No one should ever ask, "Who are we burning next?"

Section II: Communiation
Most people think communication is something automatic. Communication comes while you play, mindlessly, allowing your teammates to immediately read any action that comes to mind. They're wrong.

Target is affected by cyclone.
You polymorph target.
Target is immune.

"Whoops. There goes my GCD!" or, in proper arena terms, "******* DRUID, WHAT THE **** ARE YOU DOING?"

Communication and control come hand in hand. Show me a team that doesn't communicate, and I'll show you a team who's been locking down whichever target they tab to first. Show me a team that has no control, and I'll show you a team in the 1200 bracket. Druid cyclones a paladin to DR, Warlock DoTs up a DPS and fears the third DPS till DR. Cyclone switches to third dps, fear switches to paladin. Bubble? Cyclone the second DPS, because he should be almost toast by now.

Everything sounds better on paper - but let's assume no crazy interrupts malign the execution of this plan. Druid throws the second cyclone, immediately tells the warlock to start the fear. Pally bubbles? Someone needs to YELL "BUBBLE" on vent - druid should immediately cyclone whatever in the arena has the lowest health.

Start simple - to get to 1700, you don't need an intricate healer lockdown chain. Just tell your teammates what's happening. They should be able to handle it from there.

Section III: Understanding Communication
I'll be honest, I lied to you earlier in this article. If you're still reading, good job - I'll tell you where.
QuoteJust tell your teammates what's happening. They should be able to handle it from there.
Does your warlock really know what you mean when you yell, "Pally resisted ******* cyclone!" on vent? Obviously, you probably don't have time to say, "Pally resisted my cyclone, please deathcoil/fear him so we don't lose our lockdown rotation."

Your team needs to know how to process the information you give them. Nothing will ever go perfectly in an arena. Hell, if it did, I could keep a paladin locked down for a beautiful straight minute - unfortunately, there are bothersome skills such as "Divine Shield", "Fear", and "Oh boy, I have a Stormherald!"

If someone says that they're cycloned, stunned, feared, or simply being rend in two by a beastly full merc warrior, you and the rest of your team needs to be aware that anything they might have been contributing to a CC chain is effectively over.

Change it up. Something instant. Feral charge, Bash, Deathcoil, Kidney Shot, Counterspell - whatever's available. Nothing quite as reassuring as a confident, "I got it!" over vent.

Perfection isn't playing out the strategy you started with to a 'T', it's about being able to use the dynamic of the team to maintain control even under the most stressful of circumstances.

Section IV: Itemization, Spec, and Ability Use

Gear: You're better off being alive and doing half your damage than being dead and doing none of it.
Spec: Go find someone of your class in a top rated team. Copy their spec. Adapt the playstyle their spec encourages to your own - adjust the tree accordingly.
Ability Use: Have an ultimate, high damage, hard to dodge finishing move? Don't use it when your target is at full health. Have a silence? Don't use it just because you have it. Timing is everything. Two silences while the pally is at 100% and 50% are worthless compared to a single silence at 20%.

Think. Think. Think.

[Mordwin]

And speaking of Arena... are we doing 3 matches at 8 GT tonight?

[Daffyd]

No idea, I'm not necessarily available for any as I may be in the steamvaults getting Pielbeer his key fragment.  If you can get 5 people then feel free to do some arenas, if not then I guess the answer is no.

[Amberley]

As its come up, it might be an idea to pin this down.  I asked a similar question yesterday as I hadn't seen anything.  THe offical arena day is Tuesday at 21GT i think.  Any other day is available for people who can't make it but they need to make sure they post that they can't make it and maybe put on the planner when they can so people can sign up.

Just a thought:)

[Phred]

Since I have started to visit the Arena regulary, i have thought about classes and their threat.
Which leaded to a boost of effeciency in our Team.
In cooperation with my teammates we listed the highest threat target in following order:

Top 1 Threattargets:[/u]

ShadowPriest (ManaBurn, soft target goes down pretty quick even with two Healer in the opposing Team)
Mage (Pyro specced, huge burst Damge, soft target)
Shaman (Never underestimate a Shaman in what ever built, see one kill one)

Group 2:

Warlocks (Only a top threat if you have Player in your Team when nobody can propperly dispell their dots)
Priests ( Play a Priest correct and he will make his way to the top 1 threat, imba group healing, very i   efficient)
Paladin (Those Tin-Cans are build do absorb a nice amount of Damage, but I´ve never seen a Pally in full plate so far in the Arena [hence known Pallys  ] best tactic to reduce their Threat, bring em to bubble themself, if they bubble nuke another target and get back to the Pally afterwards)
Druids (their threat varys, MeleeDps are pretty seldom and can be a be put in Group 3. Moonkins, due to their cuteness factor i like to kill em at last, but since they can deliver a hard amount of damage, they don´t deserve this right, same for Restro Druids)

Group 3:
Rogues (Can be a pain, but their damage can be Outhealed, or you nuke em in between, what i love to do as DPS Warrior ^^)
Warrior (See a Protwarri, blow him a kiss and kill his Group, see a Mortal-Strike Warrior, CC him but don´t touch him, a Warrior who suffers from Damage is even more dangerous, Fury-Warriors tend to wear Leather, so you can kill em inbetween, but don´t get fooled by them CC is always an Option)


Communication is essential, like DaffyD said.
Try to use ORA2 or Ct_Raid establish a MT and focus your fire, the player with the most overview should announce the targets concerning their estimated threat towards your group.
Get yourself the Arena Master Addon.
What AM does: It shows you the classes of the opposing team, they can be announced that way and ppl can better predict what they face.

One other thing: If you feel comfortable enough, rush, put mayor pressure on them, or do it the other way arround, stay at your place secure it, protect you and don´t even move,  let them get agitated, they´ll come fore sure  And than they´ll make misttakes and you can divide them easy

My thoughts about the Arena.

Btw:
I´d say take down their Healers first, but we experienced that isn´t allways the best thing do, while you try to focus on a healer their dps will surly try to take down yours.

Again learning by dowing, stick to Daffyd post and you´ll raise constantly  
Adapt it to your playstyle

[lioness]

i think there isn't a solid 'how-to' to get on top of arena's.

However, this doesn't mean there are 'best-practice' cases

It all comes down to work as a team and be aware of what's going on around you and react accordingly. But all in all, it's experience build up that should make all gladiators profecient in arena's

[Migite]

Arena tonight at 20:15 - the usual three matches off Tuesday.