PvP 101: A guide to Current Post-CU Combat

[Viceroy Odantis]

The first post i made was for the pre-fight...this is an outline of the ROUGH strategies to use, these are basics not specifics.

there are 4 main things to manage:

1) Damage output

2) Defense/ Damage input

3) Action/Mind management

4) Filling/spice


Now the priority on these depends on your template. If you are a "glass cannon" template, meant to explode with damage but not much defense or longevity...by all means damage output is your primary concern, hard fast and leave her going "Call me?" However, if you are like me for instance and have a more methodical, lengthy approach, #3 becomes most important. Anyway, here are some general tips on how to do these:

Damage output tips:

Deuterium Pyro is your friend for ranged (there's a food for melee that does same thing) it is +202 accuracy for roughly 1 minute. This boosts not only your accuracy (duh) but accuracy can now affect your damage. If your accuracy is far above your opponents defense score, your damage gets a bonus. This is a huge help to glass cannon templates. Remember, non jedi can only heal while standing, wait till your opponent is to half or less (if they are dumb enough to let this happen) and THEN kd and finish them. They can use a stim while on the ground but its a better chance then kding right away. If you have good speed mod's, use a damage PUP, if you don't, use a speed pup. Just make sure you don't burn your action TOO fast. Remember: weapons have a cap now on damage/speed, so sometimes its best to use a SAC powerup if the caps are being hit. For a list of these caps (as its being compiled) head to the official weaponsmith forums. Remember, stims dont' pause the action so if you're taking damage pop those stim/bliel combos and KEEP FIRING.


Defense/Damage input control:

Ok several friends here: Synthsteak the glass cannon's worst fear. roughly 40 seconds of 45% damage reduction for the win, timed correctly, leaves the glass cannon template broken and confused and weak for the kill. Make sure your armor is sliced for armor break 75%. Keep exo protein wafers handy in case your filling is too full for synthsteak. Be sure to use things like CoB and Duelist stance if you have them available. Also things like intimidate/warcry/blind/thyroid rupture/etc. Anything to bring down your opponents speed/accuracy/etc.

3) Managing mind/action

Regen caps at +250 from food stacking, i tend to just go with blob candy/spiced tea, which are roughly 180ish each, and leave the filling for other things. Use an appropriate spice (i suggest booster blue or neutron pixie depending on template) and remeber one key rule: Your highest damage special is NOT always your friend. Remember ranged shot and placed shot (and the melee equivs)? Well the damage is lower but the action cost is SOOOOO low and the speed is fast enough to make them not bad attacks. Remember not to waste mind/action on silly things. THe best example applies to my own class, CM. People often toss on every single debuff we have, regardless of their opponents template...ok Snare does no good against a jedi with FR1 or better...its a waste. Shock has very limited usage. Traumatize on a rifleman? Or my favorite..infect!??!! its a BROKEN SKILL and people still try to use it, wasting a ton of mind. One slightly tricky tip....this is very ADVANCED tactics and can be dangerous... When kd'd...notice your regen...its as if sitting....so...if your opponent is rooted (melee) or unable to do damage well and kd's you (synthsteak hint hint) you can lay there regenning your mind and action rapid fire (this is more of a strategy for mind since action is sucha fast regen anyway)

4)Filling/Spice

Simple here, just make sure you don't overload yourself pre-fight and leave no room for mid-fight fooding up. ALways ALWAYS ALWAYS keep extra spcie and food stacks out of crates before a fight and keep tabs on your filling. Sucks to try and pop that 27 filling steak when you've got 10 filling left.... There's not too much of a tip here really other than just...watch it, control it, don't take un-needed foods/drinks and try to not blow through your foods too fast, sucks to take a synthsteak and your opponent notice it..and mez you...wasting it

[Novall]

When ever I fight Alonzo...I use the more simplified formula of:

Mirror - Reflection ratio.

I just hold up a mirror...and when Zo sees his reflection he gets incapped and I win.

REMEMBER IT!



"For all other things...theres Novall."

[Nyvveck]

Some tips for melee vs. melee...

I assume that ever melee person I am fighting also has doctor/combat medic skills. As such, they have good healing power. The trick to healing someone with this kind of healing power is to not give them a moment to rest. With spiced tea, a doctor's buff, and booster blue, their mind can regen quite quickly. As such, you must constantly attack them so that they are always healing. However, you must remember that you cannot use all your action while doing this. I suggest the use of critical hit and normal melee hit. With that, you are able to keep your action up, and still do damage.

Nowadays in battle, Mind is still the most important attribute. I've never met a single person who can do more damage than I can heal. Because of this, most battles are battles of attrition. You try to wear down your enemies mind, and he tries to wear down yours.

Now, on special attacks, I've met quite a number of people that don't use their profession as they should. If you are a swordsman, always armor break your target. If you are a fencer, always bind him (I believe it's binding hit that lowers the targets action regen...). If you are a pikeman, always warcry and intimidate. (Although, intimidate really isn't that big...warcry is much more important at -40 Attack Speed).

[Sai'nu]

/bump

Thought this might be useful to our members wanting to partake in the Guild Warring being discussed/particpated in.

I was overhearing Ekade talk with Nyvveck in Noc chat last night as well but wasn't paying complete attention.

Exactly what advantages does putting the KD on autoattack do? And... does changing the autoattack during combat in PvP work as a good tactic? Or, are we better off just Hotkeying it?

[Nyvveck]

Alright, suppose you want to knockdown your oppenent the moment he loads in or accepts the duel. Make your KD attack your auto attack, and click on it. You will now be attempting to use that attack. However, the moment the duel starts, take the auto attack away.

I personally do not use an auto attack in any situation other than the one described above. I have also never met a good PvPer that does use an auto attack. The reason for this is that auto attacks use time that could better be spent elsewhere. An auto attack make screw up KD Recovery, CoB, Duelist Stance, etc.

[Ekade]

Another PvP question:

Can you change weapons mid-fight? If so, what it the "cost" for doing so?

[Jabe Adaks]

Another PvP question:

Can you change weapons mid-fight? If so, what it the "cost" for doing so?

The cost is time. Equipment changes are very time costly, especially when you are getting nailed by your opponent.

Jabe

[Ekade]

Another PvP question:

Can you change weapons mid-fight? If so, what it the "cost" for doing so?

The cost is time. Equipment changes are very time costly, especially when you are getting nailed by your opponent.

Jabe

How much time?

Just the "standard" global cooldown, or is it more than that?

[Ekade]

Can someone describe to me the proper way to use the stim/biel combo?

I guess I am unclear on the mechanics of the Ruby biel. Do you take it first, then use the stim?

[Sai'nu]

Can someone describe to me the proper way to use the stim/biel combo?

I guess I am unclear on the mechanics of the Ruby biel. Do you take it first, then use the stim?

The Ruby Biel does bug sometimes. This mechanic works the same way wither your PvPing or PvEing.

Basically, your run down is this:

If Stim-D heals for 1400pts; You could wait till you take that much damage then click your stim. Your now at full health and your stims are recharging.

You get to 1400pts sustained but your stims are not recharged yet. You now drink your Ruby Biel during the fight and immediately click your stim for an Instant Heal. At this point I think as long as your stomach will hold out you can pop the Ruby Biel and Stims continuiously.

If you manage your timers you can work your Stim Timers and the Ruby Biel to keep a fairly unwaistful use of Biel.

You'll have to wait for others to respond on how best to use this in PvP; I'm just assuming this mechanic works the same way in either.

[Ekade]

I see.. so you pop the stim first.. then use the Biel to reset the timer and can now pop another stim.


So.. the pattern is:

Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
etc...


Correct?

[Sai'nu]

I see.. so you pop the stim first.. then use the Biel to reset the timer and can now pop another stim.


So.. the pattern is:

Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
etc...


Correct?

That's what I've been using in PvE, yes. Like I said though, sometimes it bugs and you don't get the instant 'stim' after the Biel. Also, since your Doctor... a better pattern might be:

Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Biel-Stim (Let Stim Recharge)
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
etc...

If I had to guess. As I said, not sure how best to use this in PvP; The other was was how I'm successfully using it in PvE.

[Novall]

I see.. so you pop the stim first.. then use the Biel to reset the timer and can now pop another stim.


So.. the pattern is:

Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
Biel - Stim
etc...


Correct?

That's what I've been using in PvE, yes. Like I said though, sometimes it bugs and you don't get the instant 'stim' after the Biel. Also, since your Doctor... a better pattern might be:

Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Biel-Stim (Let Stim Recharge)
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
etc...

If I had to guess. As I said, not sure how best to use this in PvP; The other was was how I'm successfully using it in PvE.

Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Stim - dont forget to shoot one upp first.
Biel-Stim (Let Stim Recharge)
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
Stim
Biel
Stim
Doc Heal- Let Mind Regen
etc...

Thats pretty much how you need to be healing in PVP, and you may need to pop a biel after the second doc heal to depending on how bad off you are. If you have multiple heals...or a heal over time, then use those also.

[Nyvveck]

Also, weapon switch isn't much of a problem. Simply have any weapons you might want to use on any toolbar, and you have no other worries.

Weapon switch takes no more time than the time required to equip that weapon...it does not have a warm up or a cooldown.

[Dariis]

I would like to add:

-impale and critical hit do the same base damage, but with the +CRITICAL+ critical does better damage
-i used to have both and found that impale has a slightly faster cooldown, and used a little less action. I dropped critical hit
-Combo attack does exactly 3x the damage than in the combat log
-stun slightly reduces the damage dealt (but i dont know what else it does)
-dizzy seems to be strong by lowering their accuracy and defenses (you hit more, they hit less )

as for auto attacks, i tried to use it right after the CU, but like many found it to be an torn in my side sometimes because it would happen when i need to kd recover etc... BUT just recently i triend it again while hunting (melee hit was the auto) this is what I found. (the figure represents 2 lvl 80 tkm's (Dariis & Neilo, barehanded) vs 1 lvl 82 creature)

w/o auto attack / with auto attack

Dariis hits / Dariis hits
Neilo hits / Neilo hits
creature hits / creature hits
Dariis hits / Dariis hits
Neilo hits / Neilo hits
Dariis hits / Dariis hits
creature hits / **Dariis hits
then repeats... / creature hits
then repeats

im trying to find out why now, maybe an autoattack is truely faster