What do I need to know?

Now that you understand a few of the basic terms and how RvR works it's important to know just how you fit in. There are a few simple strategies and practices you can implement in your RvR gameplay that can increase your survival odds at least 300% (which is a number we just completely made up). While we can't guarantee success, all of the following are critical to playing effectively.

Groups

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I Hope That is a Big Fireball

In traditional MMOG's we've all had "that" experience where you've been in a group so unbelievably horrible that you swore to never talk to strangers again no matter what kind of candy they had. Many of us have spent much of our time playing solo and only banding together with good friends to accomplish what we couldn't alone. While there will always be the poor groups and annoying experiences, Warhammer Online is the first game in awhile to heavily encourage grouping.

Battlefield RvR is designed for large groups to duke it out over objectives. When solo, even if you are running around with others, there is a lack of cohesion inherent with disorganization. One group with a single objective can quickly route another twice it's size with little effort. This means you should certainly take every effort to join up with other people whenever possible. In areas with heavy activity you can usually find a Warband (group of 24) which is ideal for coordinating large scale assaults.

Battlefields

Every battlefield has certain variations setting it apart from all the others. First it is important to know the terrain. If you are playing on a core server, where are the lines that flag you for RvR? Where can you run for safety from the five people that decided to chase you? Are there mountains or rivers that will slow your progress? Where is the Warcamp that has quests, merchants, trainers, and everything else you could possibly need?

Finally, where are the objectives you need to capture? They could be in a town square that needs defense on 3 sides or in a building with only one way out. Where are the most tactical areas around them? Perhaps there is a roof you can jump on to fire down on invaders or a rock you can stand behind that obscures you a little. Knowing your way around the area is not only strategic but generally wise.

Know Your Class

This particular piece of advice cannot be stressed enough. It is of the utmost importance that you understand your class and it's role in battle. Countless groups have been torn apart because a healer charged into battle or a DPS got a little too anxious to fight. This isn't to say there won't be a learning curve as you start out, but if you hit Rank 40 and are still trying to go melee with a Bright Wizard, you might want to consider a different career choice.

Fortunately all of Warhammer Online's classes fall into one of four categories: Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, and Ranged DPS. As a tank you should be on the front lines pulling attackers off your healers and making charges into the enemy lines. As a healer your role should be fairly clear, to keep everyone you possibly can alive including the casters and ranged DPS huddling around you. Melee DPS should pick their attacks carefully by hitting tanks who charge the lines or casters/healers standing off to the side. Ranged DPS is one of the most simple of all, stay back and keep shooting as long as possible.

We hope these basics have been useful to you and will provide you a with some sound advice for RvR in Warhammer Online. Keep checking back as we continue to add more advanced strategies and guides to give you an edge on the battlefield.

• Return to Part 1 of Warhammer Online RvR 101