Guide to Heroes' Ascent

This strategy guide deals with the special challenges of Heroes' Ascent PvP.

Getting into a team

One difficulty for new players often is getting into a team. This can be made easier by: (1) joining a HA or PvP guild, (2) observing which builds are commonly requested and playing them, or (3) starting your own group. Also, using a PvP character and enough Balthazar faction to adapt your build to your team's needs can help.

Team build

There are several broad strategies that are used in Heroes' Ascent. Often, team builds focus around a combination of AoE damaging, team healing, and team protection. Most use some form of AoE pressure or spike damage as their central damage-dealing strategy, although other strategies based on spiking, degeneration, or hexing can also be effective. Some teams prefer to use balanced builds, others prefer to focus on a specific profession and build. Some will bring builds for which they are unlikely to face effective counters. However, coordination is often more important than the specific team builds.

Because the objectives are varied (e.g. annihilation, relic running, point capture), teams should also plan ahead for these occasions. It is usually recommended that some team members bring running skills, and most team members bring a resurrection signet. Also, having one team member capable of assassinating the opponent's Priest or Ghostly Hero can help turn the tide of battle.

Other important things:

• Song of Concentration - this skill is useful for King of the Hill maps so that your Ghostly Hero can't be interrupted while using Claim Resource.

• Snares - useful for all non-annihilation maps or to help your team to kite melee foes.

Tactics for specific areas

The Elite Zaishen Battle

The goal is to quickly dispatch the Zaishen team to gain morale boost. A timer starts when nearing the enemy team. A bow can be used to gain adrenaline before crossing the timer line. It is critical that your team attacks simultaneously, so usually one player will initiate a countdown. Group speed boosts to close the gap quickly can also help. For certain builds, it is also a good idea to interrupt Ward Against Melee and Ward Against Harm (PvP) of Zaishen Elementalist or Resurrection Signets.

The Underworld

This is the second map of Heroes' Ascent. The game type is Annihilation, so your goal is to wipe the enemies. Be aware of standing under the bridge, because you can be easily hit by AoE Skills there.

Fetid River

Fetid River is the first Priest Annihilation map. As long as your priest lives, he will resurrect all teammates each 2 minutes, so make sure to protect him. Note that Fetid River is a map with only few terrain; this will allow you to avoid AoE attacks.

Burial Mounds

This map is like Fetid River, but it has got much more terrain and also an Obelisk Flag Stand which will deal few damage to your enemies if captured. Burial Mounds has many obstructing features on the map, which allows you to avoid ranged attacks.

Unholy Temples

The goal is to carry more relics from the enemy's area back to your Ghostly Hero than the opposing team. Speed modifiers help, either speed boosts or slowing down the enemy by Ward Against Foes, Grasping Earth, Traps or other snares. Also, body-blocking in the middle bridge helps.

Forgotten Shrines

The most common strategy on this map is for one Healer (usually the Prot Monk) and one snarer of your team to take the Ghostly Hero and capture the bottom most shrine on your team's side. Because the Ghost counts as four players, he is very valuable. Make sure to hold the bottom shrines with this team. The rest of your team has to capture the upper shrines.

Golden Gates

This is another Priest Annihilation map. It is common to run to the hostile Priest at once and kill him ('priest swap'). After this, you should kill the enemies.

The Courtyard

This is a King of the Hill map. The goal is to bring your Ghostly Hero to the central altar. When he arrives there, he will use Claim Resource. Try to use "Make Haste!" to get there faster, and on arrival, use Song of Concentration and Aura of Stability to ensure that your Ghostly Hero won't get interrupted. It is very common to interrupt enemy Ghostly Heroes so that you can capture the altar first.

The Antechamber

This is the last map before HoH. The tactic on this map are alike the tactics on Forgotten Shrines.

The Hall of Heroes

There are 3 different modes in the Hall of Heroes: Relic Run, Capture Points and King of the Hill.

• Relic Run

The general strategy here is to have two runners (just make sure that your snarer or Mesmer aren't running) while the rest of your team waits near the bottom of your area. Generally all teams free run until about the 3-2 minute mark. This is when teams will send wards and other snares on their opponents. It is advised not to snare until this time because of a tactic known as "ganking". If you start snaring at say 7 minutes, that team will grow a hate towards you and will eventually stop running and just collapse on your team, letting the neutral team win. This happens fairly often because most players think that they won't get ganked, but it actually occurs a lot!