Turtling, Splitting, and NPCs

gw

Even though NPCs are, well, as the name indicates, not playable, they still play a vital role in your battles…especially in Guild-vs.-Guild combat. Over at the Guild Wars site, we’re given an NPC 101 lecture on NPC profiles, strategy, splitting, and turtling. Yes, turtling. [writer’s note: am i the only one who thinks the word ‘turtling’ is funny?]

The NPC layout in Guild Wars depends on which guild hall you’re in; sometimes Footmen and Archers can be found guarding the front gate of halls while Archers are usually found on upper walkways of guild halls, protecting the entrances. Deep inside the guild hall, a group of Knights, Archers, and a bodyguard acts as the Guild Lord’s protector and entourage.

Unlike the other NPCs, the Guild Lord has extra Health and five pips of Health regeneration, making him even harder to kill. He also has the ability to resist Hexes and Conditions and has a special defensive property that diminishes over time. His skills include Cleave, Cyclone Axe, Power Shot and Warrior’s Cunning. But enough about the Guild Lord, let’s take a look at the other NPCs’ profiles:

Thief
Health: 480
Skills: Claim Resource (for unlocking gates)
Bodyguard
Health: 480
Skills: Glyph of Energy, Fire Attunement, Fireball, Firestorm, Incendiary Bonds, Maelstrom, Oath of Healing (only heals the Guild Lord)

The full article awaits after the jump!

Pre-Order: [Guild Wars Nightfall]

gw

Even though NPCs are, well, as the name indicates, not playable, they still play a vital role in your battles…especially in Guild-vs.-Guild combat. Over at the Guild Wars site, we’re given an NPC 101 lecture on NPC profiles, strategy, splitting, and turtling. Yes, turtling. [writer’s note: am i the only one who thinks the word ‘turtling’ is funny?]

The NPC layout in Guild Wars depends on which guild hall you’re in; sometimes Footmen and Archers can be found guarding the front gate of halls while Archers are usually found on upper walkways of guild halls, protecting the entrances. Deep inside the guild hall, a group of Knights, Archers, and a bodyguard acts as the Guild Lord’s protector and entourage.

Unlike the other NPCs, the Guild Lord has extra Health and five pips of Health regeneration, making him even harder to kill. He also has the ability to resist Hexes and Conditions and has a special defensive property that diminishes over time. His skills include Cleave, Cyclone Axe, Power Shot and Warrior’s Cunning. But enough about the Guild Lord, let’s take a look at the other NPCs’ profiles:


Thief
Health: 480
Skills: Claim Resource (for unlocking gates)
Bodyguard
Health: 480
Skills: Glyph of Energy, Fire Attunement, Fireball, Firestorm, Incendiary Bonds, Maelstrom, Oath of Healing (only heals the Guild Lord)
Archer
Health: 480
Skills: Pin Down, Troll Unguent
Footman
Health: 480
Skills: Sever Artery
Knight
Health: 480
Skills: Sever Artery, Gash, Healing Signet, Power Attack

turtleluvvinTurtling:

Whoops, wrong image. Errr…no, that’s not exactly what turtling means in Guild Wars. “Turtling” means drawing back into the shelter of the Guild Lord area. It’s called turtling because you slowly wait like a turtle in a shell for a good time to strike the enemy.

It’s best to kill the Bodyguard first because he adds a large amount of AoE damage and can heal the Guild Lord. A Bodyguard can also move forward to cast spells on the enemy team, so Guilds should be aware of situations like this.

NPC Strategy: NPCs attack when enemies come into range, so always pay attention to where they are fighting. If your team is in an offensive position at the flag stand, watch out for Footmen and Archers inflicting damage on your team. If you have to take a defensive position, make sure that you fall back enough so that your own NPCs engage the enemy. You can also try killing the NPCs in front of the guild hall as soon as possible to reduce damage.

Splitting: Killing NPCs are vital in split tactics. To pass locked gates on maps with Guild Thieves, you need to have a Thief with you. If you’re defending against a split, you can kill the Thief first to buy your guild extra time without worrying about “ganking” or splitting. If you are on the offensive in a split, keep the Thief safe and always leave him outside, not inside. Doesn’t sound right we know, but see if the Thief gets left inside, the defending team can leave it alive in there and you’ll lose access to their base.

Victory or Death: Can’t see how the choice can be that hard here really, but seriously, VoD is a 20-minute event that occurs in GvG. The effects of VoD can make the AoE Bodyguards’ spells lethal so Guilds should keep their Bodyguard alive as long as possible. Victory or Death also means that you only have five minutes left until the Guild Lord makes his way to the flag stand.

Guilds will have to beware of potential side ganks and surprise attacks on the lone Guild Lord. He is much more vulnerable without the Bodyguards. The Guild Lord’s movements are dependent on your opponent’s Lord too. Once the Lords come under attack on their way to the flag stand, they’ll stop and fight off the attackers. And this means that a final fight with all the characters will occur right in the middle of the map. Exciting, huh? At this point, you’ll have no other choices but to win or die.

Pre-Order: [Guild Wars Nightfall]

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