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Blood Sport: Iron sharpens iron, part 4
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Check out part one, part two, and part three of this series on allowing others to shape your arena gameplay. This has been one of our longer series here at Blood Sport, but that shouldn't really come as a surprise to my regular readers -- I love telling stories. This week, we'll be covering a hodgepodge of different player types I've encountered throughout my time in arena. It's amazing to me the diversity of players who at look to high-level arena for both a challenge and entertainment. I'll try to stay away from teammates that I've already talked about. All names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the not-so-innocent).
Spiritual Guidance: The basics of shadow priest PVP
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. On Wednesdays, shadow priesting expert Fox Van Allen regularly insults normal people, so you should never take his writing seriously. Fox encourages you to follow him on Twitter. I've been writing the shadow version of Spiritual Guidance for over a year and a half now. In actuality, it seems like forever -- like I've covered every topic multiple times. And yet, in all those columns, there's one topic I've never really taken the time to address: shadow priest PVP. There's a reason, of course. PVP in and of itself is a damn complex subject. With a PVE encounter, there's some randomness, but it's all contained within a predetermined set of variables that you can research on a resource such as Wowhead. You may not know when Onyxia is gonna use her Deep Breath ability, but you know it's coming. PVP is different. You don't know what your opponent is thinking (if he's even thinking at all). Some battleground teams head into battle looking for a street fight, hoping to win with raw brutality and no real strategy. Other teams choreograph their movements and communicate through Ventrillo or Mumble, approaching each battle like amateur Douglas MacArthurs. There's no algorithm that tells you how your opponents will act and react to what you do. I'm far from a PVP expert myself, so I can really only offer you some of the PVP basics to get you started. If you're looking for top-level strategy, check out Blood Sport. If you're looking to get your feet wet and start exploring the other side of the World of Warcraft game ... read on.
Blood Sport: Iron Sharpens Iron, part III
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Check out part one and part two of this series on allowing others to shape your arena gameplay. I feel like this recent series is a way for me to tell a bunch of stories -- and oh man, do I love telling stories. I've been growing very fond of a well-told anecdote. Transitioning to another arena bracket (5v5) If you'll recall from part two, my 3v3 teammates were content with a Gladiator title, while I was not. I told them I would stay on the team as a safety net, but that I was creating a 5v5 for rank 1. Both were very supportive and encouraged me throughout the entire process, even though they did not decide to join in my quest (they were already on high rated 5v5s). By this time I had a formidable reputation from being high-rated in 2v2 and rank 1 in 3v3. A lot of high-rated PVPers offered me spots on their already semi high-rated 5v5s. Most of the teams used the "weak-link" sales pitch. If you've never heard it, it goes something like this: "Our 5v5 would be rank 1 with ease if it weren't for a single member of our team. But if you replace him, we'll probably go undefeated to Merciless Gladiator." They usually talk a lot of smack on that "terrible" teammate when offering you the position.
Blood Sport: Iron sharpens iron, part II
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Check out part one of this series on allowing others to shape your gameplay. I'm constantly amazed how much wisdom others have for me, especially when I'm usually the most experienced player on the team. Remaining humble and always looking to improve yourself will keep your head in the right place when it comes to arena. Last article, I explored my past history and what I learned from it before I had any type of accomplishment or achievement attached to my character or name. This week, I'll be discussing what got me into the upper tier of arena -- those of you looking to make the jump might find this article particularly helpful.
Blood Sport: Iron sharpens iron
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. It's no secret that other people influence our lives. This is a widely understood precept of life, but one that is not often directly tackled. Parents look after their children to make sure they aren't "hanging out with a bad crowd." Nearly everyone has heard or spoken the expression, "It's not what you know, but who you know." Sciences have been created to study how people affect one another. Sociology and psychology are studies of human interaction. Advertising, marketing, and economics have a firm foundation in understanding influences that we exert on one another -- and this isn't a recent phenomenon. Ancient proverbs speak of men sharpening each other as iron sharpens iron. Skills are honed by the acceptance of constructive criticism. Arena is no exception. Doing arena with players who are better than yourself will make you a better arena player, and that's what we're going to be talking about today.
Blood Sport: Why do we play arenas?
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Why does anyone even play arena? Every time we enter, it's a deathmatch on one of five maps. No dragons, no intricate storyline, no phat loot. The same team compositions show up again and again. Titles only last for a season unless you have the drive and ambition to hit rank 1. It's pretty depressing when you think about it, isn't it? I'll tell you why we do it: competition. People are naturally competitive. We always want to be better than the next guy, and arena is an outlet for that.
Blood Sport: Staying offensive on the defensive
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. We'll be taking a detour from our guide on how to make a new character for PvP to discuss something a bit different today. I get questions from time to time about a variety of PvP-related issues. I mean, I'm verbose, but I didn't think I could write over 1,000 words on one question, until Veni recently asked: C. Christian, You say that you are at your best when you are being focused in arena, and you barely let your damage slip. I play a frost mage, and have only enjoyed success up to around 2k arena rating, and one of the areas I feel weak on, is sustaining damage when being focused. I consider myself to be very strong positionally, and mechanically. Does the ability to sustain damage and remain strong while being focused yourself come from a great knowledge of your oppenents abilities? when you can and cannot get away with that extra cast? or exceptional communication with teammates, knowing when they are going to peel, allowing you to squeeze in an extra nuke. Regards, a weekly reader
Blood Sport: How to make a new character for PvP, part 3
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Please check out the last two articles on how to make a new character for PvP, part 1 and part 2. Those articles discuss trying to narrow down which class is right for you before you play it at 85. We all have that friend who levels an alt up to max level expecting to play on it forever and ever, only to abandon it two weeks later. Don't be that guy! This week, we'll be discussing the most efficient and arguably logical ways of bringing you up to speed on a new character. Keybinds, leveling strategy, and gearing up are important aspects of any class and three of the major traps new altoholics can fall into, especially for PvP.
Blood Sport: How to start a new character for PvP, part 2
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. Please check out last week's article on starting a new character for PvP; we discussed different ways to analyze your own playstyle and alluded to this week's subject of strengths and shortcomings. I asked four important questions about playstyle and gave my answers to the questions; however, because some seemed to be left wanting, here is a little more information on those questions.
Blood Sport: How to start a new character for PvP, part 1
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. How do you know if your class is the right one for you in PvP? One of the best ways to find out if you really want to play the class is to analyze your playstyle. What are your tendencies as a player? Do you rush in and try to battle it up, even if you're a healer? You might want to try out a warrior or death knight. Do you stay back and try to play as defensively as possible? A mage or hunter might be more suited to your tastes. Perhaps you like to annoy opponents by jumping behind pillars when they switch targets to you -- an affliction warlock or holy paladin might be right up your alley. Arena has a flavor for almost everyone. I determined long ago that I love to rush in and play as offensively as possible. My first character I ever made in WoW was a retribution paladin! However, I shifted around a bit before discovering the power of warlocks. I stuck with warlock for the longest time because DoTs were incredibly overpowered and it felt like I couldn't die against seven monsters. Deciding to play a class because it was overpowered while leveling was probably not the best decision, and I wish I had thought about PvP more when deciding on a main character.
Blood Sport: The art of switching characters for PvP
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. I've spent my time in the skin of many different classes when striving for gladiator. Even though my Cataclysm main has been a warlock for some time now, I've enjoyed the time I've spent on my mage, warrior, druid, rogue, death knight and paladin. While I also have a level 80 hunter, I quickly decided it wasn't for me (not being able to shoot people from point blank range bugged me far too much) and moved on to greener pastures. I have yet to play a priest or shaman in high-level arena, but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if I got the urge. For better or for worse, I know a few things about switching main characters. My overarching purpose in leveling up each of those classes was to use them for PvP reasons (including my warlock). I'd be lying if I said all my decisions were correct ones; most of them worked out very poorly due to lack of foresight. However, I have learned a few things from personal experience and from watching friends play Chutes and Ladders with alternate characters.
Blood Sport: Arena should be more like rated battlegrounds
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Rated battlegrounds -- like them or love them, they're here to stay. While rated battlegrounds aren't perfect, they're definitely a lot of fun and a great way to pass the time. One of the things Blizzard placed a heavy emphasis on with rated battlegrounds, which you may or may not have noticed, is the simple and elegant rating system. The rated battleground (or RBG) system is pretty different than most other systems in the game. I've been very impressed with it -- so impressed that I believe Blizzard should just copy it for arena. The whole world (of Warcraft) would benefit from making arenas more like rated battlegrounds, at least in this regard.
Blood Sport: PvP keybindings -- ESDF and roaming index finger variants
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Our last Blood Sport article featured the first in a two-part series about the strategies of PvP keybinding. You'll probably need to check it out for this article to make sense, seeing as there's lots of confusing colors and everything. That article had lots comments praising ESDF hand positioning. Well, we're going to start things off with a crowd favorite.
Blood Sport: A guide to PvP keybinding
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Listening Music: Radiohead's The King of Limbs. How could I not post a brand new album from the greatest band on earth? Many (if not most) high-caliber PvPers will speak poorly of players who click in arena or battlegrounds. Keybinds are a tool that many newer players do not take advantage of -- much to their detriment, since keybindings allow the PvPer to keep the focus where it belongs: on the battle at hand. However, even seasoned gladiators can improve their keybinds by changing the specific keybinds of individual abilities. I have my own personal way of assigning keybinds to class abilities that I want to share with you today. Don't worry, I have lots of color-coordinated pictures via the magical wonders of Microsoft Paint. Want a taste?
2200 rating PvP weapons now available for purchase
For those of you who live and die by the PvP sword, there's good news today: 2,200 rating PvP weapons are finally available for sale and use by level 85 characters. This, according to Community Manager Nethaera on the official Blizzard forums: 2200 Rating Weapon Availability Quote: I posted this in another thread but wanted to post here as well so everyone is aware: I'll be brief and direct. The PvP item vendors were a little slow on stocking their shelves. They should have them restocked shortly (give or take a few extra if need be.) They should have these weapons available very soon. We'll keep an eye on things should there be further delays. They should be available now. We'll be watching just in case any further issues arise with these vendors. source Shortly after Cataclysm's release, players' ability to equip and use 2,200 rating PvP weapons was removed from the game. The move was intended to prevent these high-level items from interfering with PvE progression -- Blizzard developers didn't want PvP to be a prerequisite to PvE raiding. Now that more and more players are entering (and downing) heroic raiding content, it appears that Blizzard developers are finally willing to allow these powerful weapons to be used. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Blood Sport: How to cultivate successful PvP attitudes, part 2
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Last week, we discussed how to expect victory and be self-critical instead of blaming, as well as the importance of being lighthearted. This week, we'll be discussing a similar topic -- this could easily be part two in our series of successful PvP attitude. Staying optimistic is much more relevant when "big things" happen. One of your teammates just quit your team after you've been pushing for gladiator for a month? You disconnect against a rival team? Patch notes say that you're being nerfed to the ground? If you've weathered the small storms that have passed by with a good attitude, you'll be much more prepared when tornadoes and hurricanes hit. Looking at the world optimistically comes much easier for some than others. I've played with partners who can't be brought down, no matter what goes wrong. If we lose five straight, they're still eager to PvP because they believe something good will happen from it.
Blood Sport: How to cultivate successful PvP attitudes
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Today, we'll be discussing attitudes of successful PvPers. I find attitude a subject I find myself dwelling on frequently. I believe attitude is the quintessential ingredient in not only PvP success, but success in whatever we do. The important thing to remember is that we can change our attitudes, and we do it all the time. Expect victory Expecting to win puts you in the mindset to win. My football teammates always used to throw around a phrase that went something like: "Don't play to not lose; play to win." Other than the double negative, the phrase teaches us something very important about expectations and their effect on reality. The placebo effect and Pygmalion effect have been demonstrated scientifically; expectations shape reality more than most of us give them credit for. In fact, speaking of scientific studies, the entire reason double-blind studies are performed is because of the observer-expectancy effect and its ability to influence the choice of others. No doubt you've heard of self-fulfilling prophecies. Although these are usually spoken of in a negative light, we can use self-fulfilling prophecies for our benefit and success. If we make ourselves believe we can accomplish a goal, that goal becomes much more obtainable.
Blood Sport: An early analysis of Cataclysm PvP
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. If I had to summarize Cataclysm PvP in one word, it would be fun. Between the novelty of rated battlegrounds, a very strong emphasis (and success) on balancing classes in PvP, and the presence of a diverse metagame at the top of the arena ladders, this is shaping up to be a great expansion. We're almost two months into Cataclysm now, and it's been quite an expansion for PvPers. Are there problems? Sure. Is the patch going to throw us for a loop and possibly switch things up considerably? Perhaps. But is the whole of Season 9 miles better than Season 5? You better believe it.
Blood Sport: The PvP perspective on 4.0.6, part 3
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more. Welcome to Friday's special edition of Blood Sport! Today we'll be discussing all the classes we didn't get around to last time. Enjoy! Hunters Hunters can now use Auto Shot while moving. I have been petitioning for this change for longer than I can remember. This absolutely 100% the most needed change on this entire list of patch notes and the greatest quality of life increase to hunters since the ammunition change. If the minimum range requirement is removed, I think I will be able to enjoy playing the class again in PvP. I'm pretty sure if someone was standing on me in real life, I could shoot them in the face with a bow and arrow. Deterrence now provides 100% chance for melee attacks to miss instead of 100% parry chance. This means that attacks that cannot be parried, notably some rogue abilities, can now be prevented by Deterrence, and the hunter will gain the benefit of Deterrence even if disarmed. Needed. If you think getting disarmed was frustrating as a warrior ... Master's Call now has a 35-second cooldown, down from 1 minute, and its range has been increased to 40 yards, up from 25. In addition, the visual effect is more obvious. Needed. Master's Call is an incredibly important ability for hunters and this will improve their arena representation by a good deal, especially when combined with the other hunter changes (which are almost entirely beneficial in PvP).
Eye of the Storm rated battlegrounds video with commentary
Work warning: NSFW language in video commentary. I originally wrote an article to go with this video. If you have some time, check out my Eye of the Storm rated battleground strategy article. After our last video, I got a special request for Eye of the Storm, as it seems there are many different kinds of strategies going around with this particular battleground. So for our second episode of rated battleground videos, I'm bringing you an Eye of the Storm, complete with Ventrilo audio (NSFW language). The audio is quite humorous at times (16:10, I'm looking at you) -- just make sure you're not around small children or your boss. This is one of the first rated battlegrounds I've done as a human;- I recently realm transferred to Kel'Thuzad and faction-changed to Alliance. In this video, I only have 1,200 resilience and 240 battleground rating. I apologize for my somewhat robotic-sounding voice; I'm going to look at investing in a higher quality microphone some time in the near future. Hopefully you'll enjoy the video; we were all very surprised with how it ended (as you can tell from the audio).
