GvG Flag/Repair Kit Running Guide, Discussion of Objectives & Tactics

I got a chance to do some GvG flag running yesterday and had some serious fun. I'm starting this thread to share the little bit that I have learned and to ask for tips on how to make a better flag runner.

The Objective
Why have a flag runner?
Dedicating one player to run the flag & repair kit leaves your team with 7 players vs 8 on the other side (unless they have a flag runner too). However, the morale boosts from holding the flag stand are key to GvG victory. Morale Boosts make your team stronger and remove death penalty, so your teammates never hit the dreaded 60% DP mark where they won't rez at the 2 minute marks.

Why bother with the repair kits?
The Catapults are very powerful and sometimes kill with one hit. One person can control the other team's front gate by firing the catapult into their courtyard. If you are already built to run the flag, you might as well be the repair kit runner too.

The Basics:
Purpose of Flag Running
If your team's flag is on the flag stand for 2 consecutive minutes, your team gains a 10% morale boost.

The Flag
Your team's flag spawns in your base very close to where you start the battle. Another flag spawns each time you plant your flag on the flag stand, or the other team captures your flag. You run slower when carrying the flag.

The Flag Stand
The flag stand location varies on each map but it is usually in the center of the battlefield. If you click on the flag stand while carrying a flag, you take control of the flag stand for your team and the 2 minute countdown to a morale boost starts!

Returning the other team's Flag
If you click on the other team's flag it will be returned to the other team's base at its spawn point. There is no bonus, it just moves the flag to another place on the map.

Repair Kit
Some GvG maps have Catapults (Trebuchets) that must be repaired before they can be fired. Carrying a Repair kit to the Catapult's firing lever will fix the catapult so it can be fired. Fix a catapult is a one-time event...the catapult is either not-fixed or working.

The Gates
As a flag runner, you need to know how the the gates work. When you click on the gate lock, the gate will open. Any open gates automatically close after a set time (10 seconds?), so unless you see enemies nearby you don't have to worry about closing the gate.

If enemies are nearby, you probably don't want to go out of that gate because the gate levers have a long delay (5 seconds). So you won't be able to run outside, click on the gate lock, and close the gate again before they come inside.

Flag Running Builds
Obviously you want running skills. Sprint and Storm chaser are the favorites, but consider a build with 2 or possibly 3 run skills. With more than one run skill you can run more of the time and even stack run skills for tremendous bursts of speed. As long as the skills are different types (stance + spell or stance + shout) you can stack them.

Ranger (skill type / duration / recharge)
Escape (Elite Stance / 5-15 seconds / 60 second recharge)
Dodge (Stance / 5 seconds / 30 second recharge)
Storm Chaser (Stance / 8-18 seconds /3 0 second recharge)

Warrior (skill type / duration/ recharge)
Sprint (Stance / 8-13 seconds / 20 second recharge)
Rush (Stance / 8-18 seconds / requires 4 adrenaline)
Charge (Elite Shout / 5-10 seconds / 20 second recharge)
Bull's Charge (Stance / 5-10 seconds / 20 second recharge)
Battle Range (Elite Stance / 5-17 seconds / requires 4 adrenaline)

Elementalist (skill type / duration / recharge)
Windborn Speed (Spell / 5-8 seconds / 10 second recharge) 1 second cast time
Armor of Mist (Spell / 8-18 seconds / 30 second recharge) 2 second cast time

Note: Shouts and Stances are instant. Spells have casting times, when you must be motionless.

Other Flag Running Skills
The other team will try to stop you by targeting you or slowing you. The slowing skills are either hexes or conditions (cripple!). Hex or condition removal is helpful if availabe to your professions.

You must be able to take some hits while charging through the battlefield to the flag stand. Endure Pain for Warriors and evasion skills for Rangers can really help. Make sure you bring a self-heal skill because you will often be out of range of your healers.

The other Flag Runner
Sooner or later you will come face to face with the other team's flag runner. Having anti-run or knockdown skills of your own will help you slow them at key times or better yet kill them.

Strategy during Battle

Know the maps
Some GvG maps don't have catapults (or repair kits). Some maps don't have gates. Other maps have teleporters. You need to know the quickest route to your objective and the routes the enemy will use. Take a trip to Lions Arch and ask the NPC there to give you a tour of all of the various Guild Halls.

At the beginning of the battle...
"You first"..."No, you first"... "No you first I instist!"
A lot of battles start with a little dance at the flag stand. Teams want to plant their flag second, so they don't have to run back and get another one.

I think its best to simply run out with your flag, plant it, and then grab the repair kit and return it inside your base on your way back to get a second flag. You will have plenty of time to plant another flag before the other team gets a morale boost.

Planting your flag first also forces the other team to show its strategy. Are they going to play nice and battle at the flag stand? Or are they rushing for your back door to gank your Guild Lord. Either way you will see how they respond after you plant your flag first and head back to get another one.

Always know the status of the flag stand and note the time when the status changed. For example, if the other team took the flag stand at 1:30 you must plant your teams flag by the 3:30 mark or they will get a morale boost.

On the other hand, if your team took the flag stand at 2:45 you must hold it until 4:45 to get your morale boost. So guarding the flag stand and crippling the other team's flag runner as the time approaches 4:45 is a very good idea!!

After you plant the first flag, assess the battle...

If your team is clearly winning...
You can get a second flag ready. You can bring the guild thief if needed or consider running the repair kit out the back-door to repair the catapult that fires into the other team base.

If your team is clearly losing...
Holding the flag stand to remove Dealth Penalty is very important. If your team is getting beat back away from the flag stand, run another flag out the back gate and retake the flag stand. If necessary you can act as a decoy. Bad teams will seperate and chase you back toward their base allowing your team to regroup.

If the battle is evenly matched..
You can get a second flag ready then join the battle by the flag stand and add some damage to try to turn the tide. Don't get too far from where your flag spawns.

Scouting
Since you are running back and forth to your base, you need to keep an eye out for sneaky enemies. Let your team's leader know what is going on, but don't panic if 1 enemy is inside your base. If you stand by your NPC's in your base you should be able to kill single enemies...but don't let them distract you from your main task.

Thanks for any tips, corrections or feedback you have towards making better GvG flag runners! http://www.theamazonbasin.com/gw/forums/index.php?showtopic=2973