Guild Wars 2 MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

Hero Battles

My final stop for this leg of my tour of the Battle Isles was at the Hero Battles which have become a primary competitive focus for solo players on par with the GvG ladder matches since the introduction of heroes with the Nightfall campaign. These battles pit two teams consisting of 1 player and 3 heroes each against one another on a rotating set of maps, each designed with a slightly different objective which adds a layer of complexity into selecting the overall build for your team. So not only do you have to step into a leadership role in these matches, but you also have to consider your heroes’ skill bars as an extension of your own, effectively increasing your active skill options to 32 rather than the standard 8 on your own primary bar. This is where your understanding of the game’s core mechanics such as conditions, hexes, interrupts and energy manipulation are truly put to the test, perhaps even more so than in standard team matches.

While I’d never claim to be an expert on the hundreds of available skill, spell and signet options that can comprise a given team build, I can honestly say I wasn’t quite prepared for how competitive these matches truly are regardless of my grasp on the core mechanics. After purchasing a Tournament Token with some of your available Balthazar faction points (which, by the way, can be gained fairly quickly in the above mentioned Random Arenas) you can then register to participate in any of the daily matches for the chance to earn up to 8 qualifier points. The main goal here is to obtain a minimum total of 20 points which then allows you to compete in the Monthly Championship tournament. I did manage to snag a few qualifier points, though suffice it to say I’ll likely need to spend a bit more time tweaking my builds and getting the hang of commanding my heroes in that setting before I’ll make it into the monthly tournament series. But if you thrive on challenges and prefer to walk the solo path rather than focus on competitive team play, the Hero Battles are a shining beacon in the seas of tacked-on MMOG PvP.

Final Thoughts

It’s been stated time and again by developers of all stripes that if you want your game to have PvP it has to be designed that way from the ground up. If you could pin a tail on that particular design dolyak, the Guild Wars logo would surely accompany the definition as an example of how to create meaningful PvP as an integral part of gameplay. The team at ArenaNet has done an excellent job of building on the core foundation of the Prophecies campaign in spite of any initial bumps in the road caused by trying to tie PvP in too directly with PvE gameplay. Since that main separation though, the Battle Isles offer some of the best PvP action your MMOG money can buy.