Alternative Tactical Options - Gaining Advantage

Lets go back to my comments about the flagpost. Allowing the enemy control of the flagpost provides them, eventually, with a 10% advantage in life and energy.

Fighting for the flagpost, and winning, provides us with a probable 25% advantage in life and energy. The flipside is, fighting for, and losing, provides us with a 25% disadvantage.

Even if we win this battle without loss, the flagpost is a temporary tactical objective that must be defended to be worthwhile.

The initial stages of the battle are the worst possible time to take this kind of gamble. We are unaware of the opposing teams strengths and weaknesses, we don't know what we are facing, we aren't able to effectively prioritise targets other than the basic "hit the monks" approach.

A better tactical approach for the initial skirmish is to obtain better intelligence on our enemy, rather than risk such a devasting blow. Also, obtaining additional tactical advantage during this initial period will pay huge dividends in the longer term.

Letting the enemy have the flagpost and not incurring significant DP isn't a huge disadantage, only being 10% after they hold it for 2 minutes.

The Repair Kits

An immediate tactical advantage that can be gained is the 2 repair kits. As indicated above, these are very limited tactical resources that play a super important part in battles beyond the initial skirmish. Whether the initial skirmish is successful or not.

Removing the enemy teams ability to utilise our catapult is a significant tactical win, as mentioned above.

These should be part of our initial objectives in GvG.

Stand our ground

All but the best enemy teams will move forward to engage us within range of our external NPC's if we let them have that much room. This adds (4?) additional fighters to our side for the initial skirmish.

Pushing forward, while tactically increasing our hold on the flagpost, gives this advantage to the enemy.



The new plan - A Proposal to increase our win ratio

I propose that The Basin's approach to GvG change.

Initially, our objective should be the gathering of intelligence on the enemy team and securing the two catapult repair kits.

We do this by splitting the team into 2 distinct groups. The first group (of 6 players) take the standard approach, grab the thief and the flag and proceed out our front gates.

The flag carrier then DROPS the flag at the intersection of the pathways near our NPC's and goes up and gets our repair kit, which they proceed to return all the way to where our flag respawns.

The person taking the Thief should also leave him at the location the flag is dropped. Its probably best if the same person performs both roles.

The remaining 5 push forward toward the enemy NPC location, stopping just out of range if the enemy team are there to give time to assess the enemy. If the enemy beats us to this central location, we remain near our NPCs with the flag on the ground.

If we are first to the enemy NPC's, we immediately try to secure further advantage by trying to eliminate these NPC's before the enemy team arrive.

During the initial skirmish, the enemy flag should be sent back as soon as it is dropped.

Team 2 (of 2 players - at least 1 with snares [blind, slow, pindown etc], both ranged attackers) heads out the back gate. Their objective is the retrieval of the 2nd repair kit, which they will immediately install in the enemy bases catapult.

Tactically, this situation leaves us in a very good position.

If our team has pushed up right to the enemy NPC's, this team then rejoins and we are back to 7 players for the initial skirmish.

If the enemy team has pushed up to our NPC's, we have 2 attackers in ideal position to hit the "rearguard" enemy, usually their monk or support characters as well as snipe at injured enemies who retreat to recover some life.

Additionally, these attackers on the high ground are able to attack the players who respawn at the 2 minute mark prior to them coming within range of support from the rest of the enemy team, accruing even more DP for them.

A team that doesn't react to this threat will succumb far more readily when they are getting hammered from both sides and have their reinforcements arriving seriously injured. A team that does react lessens the damage being directed at our front 5.

This team 2 is required to not die. If they must retreat as far as the guildhall, so be it. Ideally, with a speed boost character and a snarer, the enemy will need to send at least 2 characters back to face them to force a retreat.

The enemy will need to do this on the fly with no forward planning, until our tactics become obvious. This will seriously reduce the cohesion of the team fighting at the front gates and adds to the confusion of the enemy, forcing them to react to our tactics, rather than execute their own.

The reason to drop the flag is to encourage the enemy team to rush forward into range of our NPC's in an effort to return our flag to the spawn point.

If the battle goes well and our team of 5 win the initial skirmish (keep in mind we have support from our NPC's outside the hall and extra damage from the archers on our walls), we can simply pick up the flag and capture the flagpost.

If the skirmish goes badly, the flanking team retreat to our guildhall and eventually our front wall, the flag carrier/repair kit carrier moves immediately to our front wall to discourage an instant attack on our hall and we wait for the respawn.

Tactically, this will have gained us control of both catapults, knowledge of the enemy team and we will still have 3 characters with no DP. Thats assuming they manage to wipe the entire team 1 before the survivors make an orderly retreat to our hall.

We have given up the flagpost, allowing the enemy a potential 10% Morale Boost but have secured our courtyard and retain the option to conduct sorties out of either door, forcing the enemy to split their defence and cover both approaches.

We will have gained a tactical advantage that will last for the entire battle and not risked our entire battle on the result of a skirmish which we fight with little to no knowledge of the enemy strengths and weaknesses.

Additionally, against some less coordinated teams, we may have even convinced them we don't have a full 8 players, with the flag/repair kit carrier being unsighted by the enemy at this point. Depending on the battle, we may also not be spotted with our flanking team, leaving another 2 characters unsighted and unknown. This witholds vital intelligence from the enemy.

After the initial skirmish - we won

We are now in a very strong position, in fact, we are almost unbeatable. We have secured a 25% advantage on the enemy, we have secured both catapults and we can dictate the terms of the battle from here on out.

The previously idle character standing back at our guildhall should proceed out the front gate, acquire the guild thief and be joined by 2 other players with ranged attacks for an immediate assault on the rear door and attempt to eliminate the enemy NPC's on the walls there.

If this team gets assaulted by the majority of the enemy team, they should retreat and fall back to the central location, where support is readily available. Again, they still really must not risk accruing any DP.

Team 1, still of 5 players, now have the objective of securing the enemy flag. This can be achieved by waiting for the enemy flag runner right against the flagpost. Time can also be spent by this team in eliminating any remaining external NPC's and manning the catapult.

When an enemy flag runner appears, it is necessary to let them get outside of range of their walls, ideally at or beyond the intersection of the paths and then put him down. Do NOT return the enemy flag.

From here, with control of the catapult, the enemy flag and the flagpost, we are basically unbeatable!

After the initial skirmish - we lost

We now have several, maybe as many as 5, players with DP and have not secured the flagpost. This is bad but not insurmountable, because we retain the ability to man our walls and move around within our Guildhall with impunity, thanks to the capture of the catapults.

We still have 3 players, 2 at least who are ranged attackers, with no DP, able to man the ramparts at the front of our guildhall. These can take their shots at targets of opportunity and be supported by healers standing in the central courtyard, out of range of enemy attacks.

As these have no DP and as our healers are basically safe from attack, we could maintain this defense indefinetly. Our objective, however, is to reduce the DP our team faces by scoring some kills on the enemy. Each kill is worth a 2% improvement in DP for the entire team.

Their primary target, obviously, is the Guild Thief, should she be bought close enough to open our door. Kill her and we delay any assault on our interior guildhall by up to 2 minutes.

What we mustn't do is concern ourselves with the flagpost at this stage. The enemy has already achieved the maximum advantage they can get from the flagpost. Their only tactical advantage in retaining it is to deny us the benefits of it.

Even if they hold the flagpost for 20 minutes while we man the fortress, they are NO BETTER OFF.

When we decide to sortie out, our objective, other than trying to get some kills on the enemy, is not the flagpost, but their flag. At times, against good teams, we will need to run and plant our flag to entice them to put their flag at risk. Against lesser teams, they will have a spare flag already sitting outside somewhere, which we can then defend.

We can also sortie out both gates, executing a similar flank attack, with a diversion out 1 and a major assault out the other.

Most importantly, if we lose the initial skirmish, our immediate response should be to defend the guild hall, not prosecute an attack on the flagpost.

Defined rolls for this tactical approach

"Team 2 - The Flankers"
Designate 2 players for the flank attack.
They should:
- Capture the enemy repair kit, ideally using it to fix the catapult immediately.
- Provide ranged support to the centre battle from the hilltop.
- Plink at targets of opportunity on low health who retreat from the front lines.
- Gather intelligence on the enemy, paying particular attention to the role of the support characters who typically stand at the rear of the skirmish.
- Attack and damage any reinforcements who may come into the battle from respawns.
- Must not die!

"Flag Bearer"
Designate 1 player to bring Guild Thief and Flag to location.
- Carry flag and bring thief, dropping both at the intersection of the pathways outside our guild hall.
- Collect and return our repair kit to our flag spawn point.
- Await the result of the initial skirmish, ready to move to a defensive or ofensive position based upon the outcome.
- NOT get involved in the initial skirmish.

"Team 1 - The Rushers"
The remainder of the team.
- Engage in the initial skirmish.
- Await the enemy, if they are in the centre quickly, within range of our NPCs.
- Be prepared to fall back, or advance, as the skirmish resolves itself.



Conclusion

I believe this tactical approach to GvG will significantly improve our win/loss ratio and ensure we have a better chance against good -> great guilds, whilst still ensuring that we are basically a fun guild with few rules over our play.

The only people who have their actions restricted beyond what is currently "accepted" to The Basin in GW are the flankers and the flag runner and these should be voluntary roles for people to choose to play.

Obviously, this is still theory at this point as I have not posted these ideas or discussed them with others I am in contact with. I'd appreciate any comments or feedback you would like to make.

I have been thinking, considering and pondering how to increase a teams chances in GvG for a while and the introduction of the catapults really showed me a way to pull together all my seperate ideas into what I believe to be a workable whole.

Still to come is a discussion on Target Calling, which I will stick at the end of Bones existing thread on the issue. http://www.theamazonbasin.com/gw/forums/index.php?showtopic=808