11-18-2006, 07:46 PM
What setup do you think would prove to be the most efficient? Keep in mind, this is considering Level 60 characters, since I don't think there's enough information about Level 70 play out there to make accurate guesses (particularly where new profession items and such come into play; I can't wait to get my hands on a Rocket Launcher.)
I've given this a little thought here and there, and it seems to me a good setup would go something like this:
One Warrior, of any spec. MS debuff would probably be crucial against healer-heavy teams, but you could always respec for it if you knew you were likely to be facing one at some point. Fury gives some very nice passive benefits (lowered Intercept timer, Death Wish, cheap Executes), while Protection gives a large amount of disruption potential (Shield Slam for dispelling and general damage, Concussion Blow, silencing Shield Bash) with a slight increase in survivability. Most organized PvP, in my experience, has been a bit like Follow the Freight Trainâ¢, with the Warrior leading off.
One Priest, specced for longevity/utility. A Priest I worked with frequently had some kind of mutant tri-spec build that seemed to grab for all the utility skills it could while increasing his longevity, and it seemed to work pretty well. As I recall, he had Silence and Facemelt from Shadow, Improved Inner Fire and Inner Focus from Discipline, and I believe he had Improved Renew and was considering Spirit of Redemption in Holy. I don't know his exact spec (and he was reluctant to share it, citing that he didn't want people copying it and claiming it as their own), but I do know that I saw him survive truly horrific beatings while healing me, once people realized that I was not going to be dying until he died. I'd think that most people would instinctively target the Priest first (which means rapid dispelling, so Improved Inner Fire would probably be useless), so the build would want to capitalize on that, increasing the Priest's survivability to maximum so the other four can merrily butcher the other team while they waste time on the Priest.
One Paladin, specced for healing/utility. I'd assume this means Holy with some points in Protection and possibly Retribution to increase the effectiveness of critical buffs and skills (Judgements, Hammer of Justice, Blessing of Freedom) and gain Blessing of Kings. The Paladin would provide effective cross-healing and dispelling (no point in trying to sheep anyone until the Pally's blown his CC breaks), and a Warrior with Blessing of Freedom is downright scary.
One Shaman, of any spec that includes Nature's Swiftness. Nature's Swiftness is a given in most forms of group PvP, simply because it offers so much versatility; it can be used for the stock instant Healing Wave, or it can be used offensively, for an instant Chain Lightning or Lightning Bolt. The Shaman's spec will ultimately be somewhat unimportant, since they're all useful to a degree. An Elemental Shaman will wreck anything and everything until OOM or killed, and an Enhancement Shaman obliterates casters of all kinds. Restoration Shamans offer Healing Way (use HW1 to get the full buff going, then shoot the target a NS+HW) and Mana Tide Totem, as well as improved healing abilities through Purification. I don't see Reincarnation as being critical, but coming back with 40%/40% as opposed to 20%/20% could win a very close match.
One DPS class. This is a generic DPS class spot, and could probably be filled by ANY class, as long as they're specced for DPS. Shadow Priests bring Vampiric Embrace and all the other Shadow goodies with them, as well as an additional Shieldbot and last-ditch healer if necessary. Hunters bring traps, pets, and the ability to bring down casters very rapidly from a significant distance (how big are the Arenas going to be, anyway?) Mages can bring down most people pretty quickly from a distance, and they offer the best anti-player CC in the game. Warlocks bring curses and DOTs to the table, with special abilities depending on the pet being used (Big Blue to increase the Warlock's survival, Succubus for CC, Felhunter for anti-caster duties, Imp to provide an HP boost to the party, and possibly Infernals or even Felguards for short-term mayhem.) An additional Warrior could bring an MS debuff into play without forcing the previous Warrior to respec for it. Druids would bring effective healing and an additional buff into play, and can spec for either magical DPS (Oomkin) or physical DPS (fluffy kitty.) Hell, even a Retrinoob brings useful things to the party, offering a little extra healing, an aura that buffs Holy damage (whee Holy Smite!), and some significant Holy damage along with a little bit of physical; they can still dispel, too:)
One CC/utility class. Probably either a Warlock or Mage, though I'd prefer a Warlock. Warlocks offer a little more utility than Mages (Healthstones, Curses, pets), though they lack the crazy-good CC of Sheeping.
I've given this a little thought here and there, and it seems to me a good setup would go something like this:
One Warrior, of any spec. MS debuff would probably be crucial against healer-heavy teams, but you could always respec for it if you knew you were likely to be facing one at some point. Fury gives some very nice passive benefits (lowered Intercept timer, Death Wish, cheap Executes), while Protection gives a large amount of disruption potential (Shield Slam for dispelling and general damage, Concussion Blow, silencing Shield Bash) with a slight increase in survivability. Most organized PvP, in my experience, has been a bit like Follow the Freight Trainâ¢, with the Warrior leading off.
One Priest, specced for longevity/utility. A Priest I worked with frequently had some kind of mutant tri-spec build that seemed to grab for all the utility skills it could while increasing his longevity, and it seemed to work pretty well. As I recall, he had Silence and Facemelt from Shadow, Improved Inner Fire and Inner Focus from Discipline, and I believe he had Improved Renew and was considering Spirit of Redemption in Holy. I don't know his exact spec (and he was reluctant to share it, citing that he didn't want people copying it and claiming it as their own), but I do know that I saw him survive truly horrific beatings while healing me, once people realized that I was not going to be dying until he died. I'd think that most people would instinctively target the Priest first (which means rapid dispelling, so Improved Inner Fire would probably be useless), so the build would want to capitalize on that, increasing the Priest's survivability to maximum so the other four can merrily butcher the other team while they waste time on the Priest.
One Paladin, specced for healing/utility. I'd assume this means Holy with some points in Protection and possibly Retribution to increase the effectiveness of critical buffs and skills (Judgements, Hammer of Justice, Blessing of Freedom) and gain Blessing of Kings. The Paladin would provide effective cross-healing and dispelling (no point in trying to sheep anyone until the Pally's blown his CC breaks), and a Warrior with Blessing of Freedom is downright scary.
One Shaman, of any spec that includes Nature's Swiftness. Nature's Swiftness is a given in most forms of group PvP, simply because it offers so much versatility; it can be used for the stock instant Healing Wave, or it can be used offensively, for an instant Chain Lightning or Lightning Bolt. The Shaman's spec will ultimately be somewhat unimportant, since they're all useful to a degree. An Elemental Shaman will wreck anything and everything until OOM or killed, and an Enhancement Shaman obliterates casters of all kinds. Restoration Shamans offer Healing Way (use HW1 to get the full buff going, then shoot the target a NS+HW) and Mana Tide Totem, as well as improved healing abilities through Purification. I don't see Reincarnation as being critical, but coming back with 40%/40% as opposed to 20%/20% could win a very close match.
One DPS class. This is a generic DPS class spot, and could probably be filled by ANY class, as long as they're specced for DPS. Shadow Priests bring Vampiric Embrace and all the other Shadow goodies with them, as well as an additional Shieldbot and last-ditch healer if necessary. Hunters bring traps, pets, and the ability to bring down casters very rapidly from a significant distance (how big are the Arenas going to be, anyway?) Mages can bring down most people pretty quickly from a distance, and they offer the best anti-player CC in the game. Warlocks bring curses and DOTs to the table, with special abilities depending on the pet being used (Big Blue to increase the Warlock's survival, Succubus for CC, Felhunter for anti-caster duties, Imp to provide an HP boost to the party, and possibly Infernals or even Felguards for short-term mayhem.) An additional Warrior could bring an MS debuff into play without forcing the previous Warrior to respec for it. Druids would bring effective healing and an additional buff into play, and can spec for either magical DPS (Oomkin) or physical DPS (fluffy kitty.) Hell, even a Retrinoob brings useful things to the party, offering a little extra healing, an aura that buffs Holy damage (whee Holy Smite!), and some significant Holy damage along with a little bit of physical; they can still dispel, too:)
One CC/utility class. Probably either a Warlock or Mage, though I'd prefer a Warlock. Warlocks offer a little more utility than Mages (Healthstones, Curses, pets), though they lack the crazy-good CC of Sheeping.
ArrayPaladins were not meant to sit in the back of the raid staring at health bars all day, spamming heals and listening to eight different classes whine about buffs.[/quote]
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.