Flag running, How to do it

Okay, since it seems that good flag runners are in demand these days, I figure it's about time someone made a thread about the role. Since my flag running has received a moderate amount of acclaim, I figure that I'm reasonably qualified to lay down the basics for the job.

Now, I've seen a lot of shoddy flag running, in terms of build and tactics, so I figure that I'll start with those two aspects.

Flag running has a constantly evolving and shifting meta-game. Don't think for a second that it's just about packing a bunch of running skills onto a single character, because it's not. The flag runner build has to take into account five aspects: Self-survival, speed, single-target damage, snaring/disruption and lastly party-contribution.

A flag runner that can run fast and take a lot of punishment isn't worthwhile if he has no way of stopping the enemy flag runner from claiming the stand while the rest of your party is fighting. Neutralized flag stands won't hurt your party, but they won't help your party either. And if your skills are Escape/Dodge/Storm Chaser/Whirling Defense/Troll Ungeant/Shields Up!/Deflect Arrows/Pin Down, then you aren't really going to be able to contribute anything to your party during thosee times when you happen to be with them.

Similarly, a flag runner that doesn't have decent speed or self-survival can easily be snared to the point where he can't make it to the stand alive or on time.

What's desirable in a flag runner is balance. You won't be able to make a flag runner that can do all of those things effectively, but you will be able to make one that can cover most of the bases.

Now then, currently the most popular and straight forward flag runners are Ranger primaries, which use ungeant to stay alive, Ranger running skills for speed and poison (usually coupled with mesmer hexes) to kill the enemy flagger. My current build uses an Elementalist that was inspired by a flag runner I met while facing Nuclear Launch Detected and, I can assure you, it's vastly superior to any Ranger (or Warrior, for that matter). Here it is:

El/Mo

16 Air/10 energy storage/9 healing prayers/rest Earth

Mind Shock
Lightning Orb
Lightning Strike
Enervating Charge
Gale or Iron Mist (I prefer Gale for the interrupt)
Windborne Speed
Healing Breeze
Contemplation of Purity

The weakness of this build is that it's in paper-thin ele armour, and thus you can't exactly expect it to run through 8 guys with no support and plant the flag like you can possibly do with a well-built Ranger primary. It's also a little on the slow side due to the need to stop for 1 second to recast windborne speed.

The strength is that you can dominate another flagrunner pretty badly. Mind Shock doubles up as an interrupt and, because most flag runners are (currently) built to deal with degen and not spikes, you're almost guaranteed a kill on the enemy flag runner. Contemplation of Purity (an AMAZING skill for a flagrunner) also takes care of most, if not all, of your condition/hex worries, considering that you're packing two enchantments, one of which will be on you pretty much all the time.

Another big strength is that if you're party is at a flag stand, you can plant the flag, ask your leader to recall the target for you and then stack a crapload of damage on whoever they're hitting. The flag runner above has often made the difference between kill and almost-kill between flags, which can make a HUGE difference in the outcome of a battle.

But again, this is hardly a perfect build. If this kind of thing becomes prevelantly popular, I imagine that some sort of domination/illusion mesmer that snares and shatters enchantments while degening will become popular. And there's already another Elementalist flag running build, a Water Ele with unending water-hex snares along with Ward Against Foes, which gave my Ele/Mo a run for its money the other day.

But anyway, enough about builds... let's talk tactics:

A flag runner has to be smart and experienced. Unnecessary death penalty is what kills flag runners, which is what loses games. Generally, when your team is forced back to the Guild Lord and the enemy team has already managed to morale boost up to 10% (check with 'O'), you shouldn't run the flag unless you're absolutely sure that you can cap it and get away safely. Suicide flag runs should only be undertaken when you're trying to stop a morale boost and have a reasonable chance of a successful plant.

Take note of who the enemy team has running the flag, and inform the leader as to his identity. By keeping an eye on the designated flag runner, you'll know when to run the flag, when to not run the flag, when to defend the stand and when to stick with your team. A leader that knows who the flag runner is will also be able to hit that flag runner with the damage of the whole team and call for body blocks.

You also need to be ready to listen to the leader. Flag runners double up as errand runners. If the leader wants the Thief, the Repair Kit or the lever things on the snow map, then you've gotta go do all that.

You also really need to be voice-enabled on teamspeak. The flag runner is the leader's eyes and ears. "GUILD LORD UNDER ATTACK!" is useful information, but it lacks certain details. You need to be able to spot a gank before it happens, say how many people are there and whether or not you can take care of whatever it is that's attacking the base (naturally, you should also be able to take a shot at killing or delaying whatever it is that's in there). Obviously, you won't be able to catch everything on time, but you need to try. If a Bodyguard dies to a single person while you're nearby, then you've been negligent.

You should also be able to realize when you're outclassed. When there's a flag runner who completely hoses me and denies my access to the flag stand, I tell my leader as much and ask for help. I will not name names, but I saw a flag runner get body blocked into one of the houses on the Hunter's hall and not say a thing about what was wrong until the enemy morale boosted. If it's at all possible, your leader will help you out, he or she just has to be told that something is the matter.

When you kill a flag runner, you should also know whether or not to return the flag or not. If he's killed in the middle of a battle next to the stand, then you should return it before an enemy scoops it up and plants. If you killed him solo on some obscure corner of the map then you should not return it and ask your leader if its okay if you guard it for a while. If you guard a flag, you can wait for the flag runner to res and come to where he died to pick it up, and then return it when he gets close (and also even try to kill him again). This equates with a guaranteed morale boost for your team.

One thing I've been trying to get into the habit of is counting the enemy up and seeing if I can sight where their flag is. If their flag is on the floor, then you can take it easy. If its not and you don't see their runner, then you should probably think about the stand. If three of them are missing and you can't explain why, then you should think about asking your leader for permission to check on your Guild Lord.

I am of the opinion that flag runner builds should be independent of the rest of the build. Don't ask him to pack something that your party needs, like an Order of Pain or whatever. You're not going to ask a monk to pack offensive skills, so don't ask a flag runner to pack party skills.

Anyway, I think that's about as much about flag running as anyone needs to know to do the job effectively. Just remember that good flag running is key to winning any GvG game. I've played games where my entire team was being completely hosed but managed to ultimately win because I was able to take the stand, kill the enemy flag runner and keep their morale high enough for the tide to be turned. It's really THAT important. So don't be neglecting that stand! http://www.theamazonbasin.com/gw/forums/index.php?showtopic=3755