Ready to learn PvP

[safetypro]

OK folks,
I built my Fury/Rabies Wolfie and am raring to learn how to duel. I am totally new to dueling so I'll need to learn even the most fundamental of duel strategies and tactics. Please list in this thread the basic (beginners) need to know stuff about dueling with your Fury/Rabies Wolf.
Also, if there is another wolfie on USEast who would mind showing me the ropes, I'd be most thankful. I'm usually online weekday evenings from 7-10 PM. My account is *safetypro.
Thanks in advance.

[Verashiden]

Clicky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hf5kbWXqdQ). Video by Kiba that does a fairly good job at explaining the more basic things. I'd recommend looking at this first so you get a visual aid to what you have to learn.

[safetypro]

Clicky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hf5kbWXqdQ). Video by Kiba that does a fairly good job at explaining the more basic things. I'd recommend looking at this first so you get a visual aid to what you have to learn.

Good idea! I actually already watched one of his videos and thought it was very well done. I will check out the rest.

[Verashiden]

No problem. It's kinda hard to explain the basics of PvP in text anyways so that should help a lot more. Any additional questions feel free to ask though!

[WRcheza]

here's a few things i've learned:

in duels where you will face zeal/fury/jab, lay down a spirit wolf or other summon just as they are about to hit you if you are on the defensive. cast it right next to your body to split the damage you're going to receive between you and the summon.

even if you are going to go 2handed, remember to walk instead of run right before you go to attack. why? unless you have the timing and hand-eye coordination that clocks at a speed faster than your cpu, you won't be able to step shift just right. you will end up overstepping and perhaps take damage/die from hammers or walk into the range of another person's weapon[assuming you're trying to outrange them with a longer range weapon]. i wish i could show you this in game, as the concept is a little difficult to grasp in words.

always be ready to recast your spirit. i don't know how many times people just go after my spirit and it leaves me an open shot at them for free. i mean, you can always recast it and it costs you nothing but mana.

for autoaimed[not the script, heaven forbid] skills such as foh or strafe or guided arrow, etc, remember to cast a summon ahead of you so they take the damage instead of you. many countless foh duels were won that way.

in the cast of melee duels, always let your ravens get their attack on your enemy before you go in for the kill.

vs smiters, put yourself against a hole in the ground or a wall to negate their knockback. otherwise, you might have trouble winning despite having a longer range weapon.

always have your left hand over the shift key. keep rabies hotkey'd@ z and x if you need to. shift lets you do wonderous things like break free from bone prison/walls, step shift, outranging, catching hammerdins' bald spots...etc

don't ever namelock and follow a ww'ing barb....

don't ever namelock and follow trapper...

don't ever namelock and follow a hammerdin...

don't ever namelock and follow a blizz sorc...or any sorc for that matter...
UNLESS you are confident that you're going to one hit ko them and your life bulb reads 9k+ life


i can't really think of any other random bits i've learned or used. if you give us a specific scenario, i'm sure we'll be able to help!

best of luck!

[rata]

actually if you wish to have a sparring partner i'll be happy to, i need to practice with my hdin.

[safetypro]

Hey thanks rata, I may take you up on that offer sometime. WRcheza thanks for the detailed response. One thing I didn't consider was the need for a point in raven, spirit wolves and cyclone armor. They are in my build plan but, I went and put them at the end. Since I am lvl 86 and my build isn't fully complete until lvl 92, I will need to get another couple levels to put points into at least the summons.
Lets say I were to practice with my friend rata. What would my strategy be for a hammerdin? I know I don't want to get close and also know since I myself have a hammerdin, that there is a "bald spot" (to borrow WRcheza's phrase). I can't wait to try Rabies. When I duel, do I try and get a shot of Rabies in first and then switch to Fury?

[WRcheza]

ok, there are 2 places where the hammers don't seem to hit even if you are right next to them.

one is directly south. and the other is to the left.

you should play defensively v hammerdins...let them come to you. since i don't use rabies, i couldn't tell you when the most opportune time to strike is...

i would assume that if they did try to charge/desynch you, make sure you have your wolves out so they will tell you which direction he is coming from. shift+rabies if he charges close to lay a hammer spread on you. if he tries to telestomp you, meaning land right on you to spam hammers, walk, go either down or left HALF a step. literally half a step and hit the shift key and fury him until he's gone or has changed positions. if you try to fury/rabies him right after he hands on you, you're toast.

[Gluttony]

ok, there are 2 places where the hammers don't seem to hit even if you are right next to them.

one is directly south. and the other is to the left.

you should play defensively v hammerdins...let them come to you. since i don't use rabies, i couldn't tell you when the most opportune time to strike is...

i would assume that if they did try to charge/desynch you, make sure you have your wolves out so they will tell you which direction he is coming from. shift+rabies if he charges close to lay a hammer spread on you. if he tries to telestomp you, meaning land right on you to spam hammers, walk, go either down or left HALF a step. literally half a step and hit the shift key and fury him until he's gone or has changed positions. if you try to fury/rabies him right after he hands on you, you're toast.

Amen to this post. I love doing this to hammerdins in pub games and listening to them complain, "How didn't I hit you!?" and then I have to explain to them that there's blind spots in the hammerfields. :) Anyway, if you want I can help you out in game. I play on useast. I'm a fire claw but I can still show you some things.

[Miikai]

What is a good weapon for pub games?

Lets say the dueling game is full of Hammerdins and Sorcs. Few will leave a a strong bvc joins in, (or smiter) im wielding a 2 Hander. I am open for ww's and die easily.


Should i use Bramble, Trangs, Grief and SS when there is barbs/melee paladins in pub game and switch to Enigma and big 2 hander soon as they leave?

[WRcheza]

use 2h for paladins. unless it's a pure charger.

there's a tossup for 1h/s or just 2h vs barbs. i personally go 2h vs everything...cept for iron barbs or bvb. bvcs tend to have low life/low def so i usually tank about 4-5ww's before i go down...and by then they are usually dead with no dr and 15k fury coming down on them
=]

[Verashiden]

Seriously? Tele Tri Whirl forces FHR unless you have tremendous amounts of life.

Also, I still suggest weap/shield for Smiters. Grief Charge hurts even with one point charge and your low def means they'll always hit. Also, Libby's require a shield, Kiba PWNT me without one >.>.

[WRcheza]

it's all in playing style.

i play on the defensive almost all the time. so a bvc, should he want to connect or trade blows has to telestomp me. in other words i don't get caught up in tri whirls. and should i, i think 10k life is more than enough.

a charge can be deterred with the right timing of any casted summon.

i never thought about the liberator situation....so i can't give you an answer on that.

i'm assuming that these duels are going to take place in pubbies. most of my dueling knowledge comes from that type of pvp, since west doesn't have a healthy supply of gm, private pally duels