A solid group of (coincidentally) seven friends and myself have found this fantastic freeshard and are planning on moving here to Alb side, but, even in live, I was more concerned with PvE action than PvP (weird, I know). Now, a little older, I want the rush of RvR battles, but I'm really inexperienced, so I'd like to know some baseline things before hand. I've browsed these forums a ton, so I have some ideas, but if I'm making wrong interpretations, please correct me

First off, group composition. How do you make an ideal / versatile (can gank, defend, or attack with relative ease - keep in mind we're all real life friends, so our organization should be roughly superior to PuG) 8 man group? I'd heard that the standard group is something like 2 clerics (42 rej /36 buff), theurgist (air/earth?) sorcerer (mind/body?) Paladin (48 chant, 42 shield, rest 2hand and parry?), and then 3 merc (no idea on proper spec). Specifically, I'd like to know:

1) Is this a good starting group,
2) Why not the minstrel? He gets an extra 50% movement speed (from base, not relatively) and has fantastic interrupt ability...
3) Am I right on the specs, and where I'm not specific enough (it's because I don't know the proper spec), could you give me a couple of good specs?
4) What about dropping one of the clerics, using buff pots, and then having a rejuv based friar to cover group HoT and extra resists, as well as basic melee interrupts?

I've also heard that most groups on this freeshard tend hard towards melee groups, so, just to be new and interesting, I was pondering some form of a ranged group, in the form of 2 clerics, a theurg, a sorc, pally and reaver (to keep the nasty stealth at bay and to provide some protection against melee groups) and then some ranged deeps (maybe a scout for shield bash and good damage, as well as range for keep defense, and then a wizard, minstrel or maybe another theurg). My questions here are:

5) Is this viable? Are ranged groups even possible, while maintaining the flexibility (attack keeps, defend keeps, and still be able to rove and beat other equitably RR leveled groups with reasonable probability)
6) Could it possibly be viable to drop something and pick up a minstrel? What should be dropped, if it could be possible?
7) Would it be retarded to drop one of the clerics, rely more on buff potions, and pick up an extra dps? If you're not relying so hard on melee, and healing a wizard really doesn't mean as much as on a melee class, could you be better off by picking up some extra crowd control/deeps?
8 ) General changes / improvements?

And, finally, just some questions on RvR combat in general.

9) What is effective heal priority? Like, what needs to be kept alive for your group to win?
10) If everyone just purges out of sorc mez, what's the point to the initial mez battle at all? Why wouldn't it be more efficient to just pick up an extra dps?
11) What does the pally accomplish? Just guarding a healer or... what's his role in the 8man RvR group?

Thank you very much! And if you only want to answer just a few questions if you think I'm asking too much, please, I would be much obliged for any assistance!

For Albion!

A very solid group for Alb is:
2 Clerics (40 Enhance 36 Reju)
1 Sorc (Mind or 39/37)
1 Theurg (Earth Ice,Earth Wind or Full Earth)
1 Caba (Trispec)
1 Paladin (Endu,Slambot)
1 Merc (Melee DPS)
1 Reaver (More Melee DPS,very nasty Auras)

If you want you can swap out the Caba for Minstrel or more Melee DPS (or anything you can think of)

i'd rather go

1 cler
1 heal friar
1 mincer
1 sorc
1 palli
1 theurg
2x merc or 1 arms / 1 merc...

1) Quite good, although I would spec the theurg for earth/ice because dmg will come from tanks in your group, tanks group are more popular on this shard because of classic nature of it but with theurg and sorc in group you still have enough nuke power when your tanks can't reach someone.
2) speed is nice but you can't run it in fight (well you can but then you don't use weapon) and while RAs like SoS and AM but after using those minstrel works pretty much as interupter, however with theurg in group this should not be needed. But good minstrel in group can do well.
3) sorc probably mind/body, theurg earth/ice, clerics ehnace/juv paladin you can go s/s or the spec I like is full defense/group (42 shield 42 chants 39 twohand for backsnare rest slash) it has horrible damage but great defense with slam and backsnare
4) why? If you really want friar in group switch one of the merc but you really DO want to have 2 clerics

about the caster setup, that's easy, two clerics, I like to have some slam tank like pally or reaver, one or two cabbies maybe theurg and rest just sorcs

5) caster groups are harder to play but if you really want to have setgroup they can be very deadly even in this settings. It will be pain in lower ranks but well, it would be pain with tanksetup either
6) one of the mercs probably or maybe theurg but I really prefer theurg as a rupter..
7) again friar really doesn't reach clerics healing power and you want that healing power
8 ) this sounds like decent setup, I would maybe swap one of the mercs for reaver for the debuff aura/twf/rupts


9) I myself play cleric and I follow the rule: as long as you keep your casters alive, tank train will focus on them and thus letting you live

you want to keep everyone alive, that's why you grouped them
but if tank dies and is rezzed, he is ready to go, however if caster dies and he is rezzed, he does not have his shields casted he is powerless and whatnot, so if tank and caster are taking damage and I had no choice, I would let tank die probably.
10) That's it, they purge the mezz so the purge is not ready for other spells like root and stun
11) defense defense defense, good pally should be somewhere in the middle, slamming enemy tanks and protecting your casters, while still being close enough to your tanks to give them endu.


my 2 cents

i'd rather stick with my setup -.- this srv is like LOL , did u see an 8v8 fight? no one kites , everybody just pack'd toghether in the middle spamming everything they have , that's an normal fight on this srv , but a right grp , with good kite , can wipe whole srv lol

Kiky wrote:i'd rather stick with my setup -.- this srv is like LOL , did u see an 8v8 fight? no one kites , everybody just pack'd toghether in the middle spamming everything they have , that's an normal fight on this srv , but a right grp , with good kite , can wipe whole srv lol

And you are?

he is right

the word rupt is non-existant here . on the other hand casters are ... lets say it as nice as i can ...hmm "screwed".

pre-toa reg, no manafields .slow mana reg, no chance to boost your castspeed except with aug dex ^^ did i mention that the mana reg is bad ?

seriously when was the last time you needed mcl2 serenity2 + raging power 2 to even have mana for a short 3 minute fight ?

i´ve tried a few caster heavy setups here ... yes you can beat the crap out of pretty much everything with it , but its like watching the paralympics.

1.80 barrier along with no-toa bonus and new ra´s is truely a unique balance that you cannot compare with any other server. can´t even write down every single inbalance that brings. ever been charged at without any countermessure ? ever got dotted by an assasin for 120 (viper3) in a no buffbot/toa environment - that ****** takes away 50% of a fulltanks hp !
and i have not even started.

after all its is "challenging" as a caster
the community is pretty much the thing that keeps me here.

Thank you all very much!

I'm looking at the caster build
Cleric, Cleric
Pally
Reaver
Cabby, Cabby
Theurg
Sorc

Should be a well balanced caster group.

Thank you!

caster build ,

1 cler
1 heal friar
2 wiz
1 palli
2 sorc
1 cabby

and ur there..

my fav caster setup:

1Cleri
2Cleri
3Sorc/Body/Split
4Sorc/Mind(Split
5Caby/debuff
6Caby/trispec(ns)
7Pala
8Theu (../Minstrel/Cleric/sorc/caba/...)

cleric
cleric
sorc mind/body
cabby debuffspec
theu air

then you can go for whatever you want

another sorc, pally and reaver perhaps?

pally, merc, merc ?

pally, theu, theu ?

do whatever you want.... lot of possibilities are good ( even if all the setup that players gave to you are bad or can be improved ^^) but anyway i think you can't count only on your setup to play, there will always be people missing. and till your group is oki and you play not bad, you should win.

but i think you should practise a lot for rvr when i read some sentences as " maybe get a scout in group".

anyway, good luck and welcome

BOooo at me as much as you want! But in my opinion following setups, if played correctly would make a nice combination.

Cleric 41/35
Cleric 36/40
Sorc 46m
Pally 49Ch
is a basic startup! then you just add 3 dmgdealers melee or ranged and an X-slot for someone special, which would give your group some more skills or dmg or whatever.

Tank:
Merc 50/50
Merc 50/50
Shieldmerc/Reaver as MA
X-slot:
Friar rej for more heals, meleerupt, better resists(but any good pally can switch resists just in case youve got no firar)
Minstrel for speed, rupt, AM, SOS, demezz(very important on lowRR)
Theurg for combatspeed, dmgadd and bladeturn
Or another dmg merc/reaver/armsman(anytime snare)

Caster:
Sorc 47b(dex/qui debuff)
Cabba 25/47(combatspeed debuff)
Cabba 46s(MA with bodydebuff)
Xslot for minc, theurg(BT, rupt) or another dmg Cabba/Sorc
Both sorcs cast ae str/con and dex/qui debuffs on AT and their dmg is nearly halfed, cabby debuffs combatspeed and then it wont be as hard as it usually is to keep casters alive. 2 or 3 mezzers, rupters amnesie, quite good vs enemy healers+demezz(very important on lowRR), etc etc.

Bomb:
Wiz
Wiz
Sorc 47b (MA, debuff)
Reaver/Friar for TWF/SF, untill wizards get rr5. then another dmgwizard.


Ive been running in following setup a lot, and lets say, when we all got rr7+, there were barely any groups who could fight us, only zergs:

Cleric
Cleric
Sorc
Pala
Arms
Merc
Merc
Merc

Purge+Roar Arms in case we loose mezz. then stays with sorc as bodyguard
2h snare pally + 3 charge 3 det 5 mercs = deadly assist
2 rr9+ clerics could keep sorc alive for looong.

Its a pity that armsmen are that weak on this server, so you could try swapping arms with reaver/shieldmerc/friar/theurg as a guarder/additional RAs or rupt.

TBH, if you ask about what to add as X-slot, well thats for you to decide, what you really want to have. Basically, Alb is the realm with lowest ammount of skills one can put into a group. Alb always lacks something and its for you to decide, what your group has and what it doesnt.

The group setup doesn't determine the succes,... if u all know how to play as a kiting team i would go for :

1. cler
2. friar
3. sorc
4. sorc
5. caba
6. pala
7. wizzy
8. theurg

But again not the setup is the hardpart , playing together as 1 team with good communication /leadership will be the main thing to have.
Perhaps on low RR swap 1 for an extra cleric altough i think if movement is good this setup should work perfectly.


A Excal veteran, soon back in action on uthgard albion.
11L4 pac,mend healer.
To much relic cptured to many towers and to many keeps , after all 8 vs 8 is most fun to do.

The "common" allrounder setup:
Sorcerer (44 or 45 Mind)
Cleric
Cleric
Paladin (guard pet)
Theurg (rupt, haste, damage add)
Reaver (slam, absorb debuff aura)
Mercenary
Cabalist (trispec, yellow nearsight, yellow body debuff)

With three casters in group you will have a lot of rupt: sorc pet, caba pet and the theu of course. With that rupt, the Reaver/Merc AT can kill anything quite easily. If not, there is still the caba with desease on target and nearsight on supporters.

If nothing else works, you can still try to kite.