Okay, so, I'm not anti-social. I try to participate on my realm's forums, I mingle in the PvP scene some by doing 2v2 and 3v3 with random pick-up partners as well as guildmates, and I'm generally a nice guy. But, despite all that, I fail at arena.
This season, I haven't seen any of my teams rise much past 1620 rating, despite my best efforts. I've played some SL-SL Warlock/Ret Paladin 2v2, some BM Hunter/Ret Paladin 2v2, and some ShS Rogue/Ret Paladin 2v2, and hell, even a bit of Resto Shaman/MS Warrior/Ret Paladin 3v3.
"But Josh," you might ask, "why are you not succeeding in arena? You've got great gear, know what you're doing, and are handsome and suave to boot! What's wrong?"
At this point, I can't tell if it's me or my choice in partners. The 2v2's have been mostly pick-ups that were searching for teams at the same time I was. None of my guildmates that make favorable 2v2 make-ups play PvP enough to make it worth my while. And my PvP rep on the server is either low-profile or secretly terrible, because no one approaches me for teams, and when I approach high-profile PvP'ers I get turned away. Every time I've stepped into the arena with a team that I assembled this season, it has fallen on its face, no matter the combo. Is it because my partners are generally unskilled? Is it because I'm really a PvP noob and don't realize it? I don't know! I haven't played with anyone generally accepted as "good" consistently enough to gauge where the disconnect is.
I've been applying steps 2 and 3 of Meg's guide to arena mingle since before she mentioned them. I have a topic going on my realm forums advertising myself for 5v5 teams that I bump periodically. I have a guildmate who is willing to play a rogue or warrior with me in 3v3 if I find a healer, but have been unsuccessful in convincing any semi-talented PvP druids or shaman (shamans? shamen? seamus?) to give the team a shot - it'd be a rogue or warrior in full season 3, shoulders and all, and myself with a season 3 weapon and everything but shoulders for PvP gear.
But, despite my best efforts, I have been spectacularly unsuccessful in cobbling together a stable, working team for any bracket. My best success has been in a 2v2 team that should never, ever win games - double ret paladin. It's pretty sad at this point.
It's like I'm back in high school and I'm not in the cool kids' clique. I'm fun to hang out with, I know what I'm doing, give me a shot!
What more can I do to find a stable, successful arena team?
Friday, July 25, 2008
Arena Woes
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5 comments:
My arena team atm is me (MS Warrior) and a Ret Pally buddy. We got up to 1576 rating then fell back down to 1510 the next week. I noticed that one of the PVPers that was around 2200 rated last season was at aroud 1690 rating. Perhaps not all of the Great PVPers are out of your bracket yet. I am almost certain that a mage could beat my arena team 1 on two. They are that overpowered against us.
Speaking as (very much) a causual Arena goer, I wonder how much of this is a symptom of the Arena changes seen in 2.4.2 and the ratings requirment on pretty much all S4 gear. Not only are there fewer players willing to give it a go, it will require a higher level of skill in order to reach the same rating as last Season.
Keep plugging away Josh, but I think you may have to look very hard for a quality partner in 2v2 or 3v3.
I think, that really, its about knowing your teammate. How they play, when they use their skills, what their weaknesses are, even as much as you know your own playstyle.
Arena PvP is spur of the moment tactical thinking, and you can't pause and figure out the best strat for a particular team like you would a raid boss, you have to KNOW already what will happen. That's probably why you did best with the other Ret pally, you knew his character just as well as he did.
I've run into the same problem as you I think, I kick ass and take names in BG's, but seem to not be able to take an arena team out of the 1600's reliably. It could be sloppy play on my part, but the best team I ever had was 2v2 with an MS warrior. We broke 1700 at our peak (he ended up transferring), and it was because even though we were in the same vent channel, we didn't really need to talk. We just knew what the other was about to do, and did it.
That connection is rough to find, and it takes commitment on both players sides. You can't expect to shoot straight up to 2k rating with a good partner just because you know he's a good PvP'er and you're a good PvP'er. There has to be that connection.
Either that, or you just know every class forwards and backwards already.
There's two guys on my server that play Rogue/Mage on two different teams, the same guys, but they swap places. And they're above 2k on both teams. Because they're just as good at playing their rogues as they are their mages.
Anyways, what it comes down to is your knowledge of the game, + the connection you have with the other player. You need both for a 2k type team, you can have just one of those for a 1650's type team.
Just my 2c
rob, you make a good point on the ret/ret combo. I did not even consider that the reason he and I worked well together was because we knew each other's strengths & weaknesses so well. You must be human - your perception is strong.
I'm actually a dorf, but thanks ;-)
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