Arathi Basin Strategy Guide - Part Two

My previous Arathi Basin guide covered the fundamentals of how to play and win a game of AB. This guide will focus on some sneaky tricks you can use while in AB.

This is one of my favorites because I'm a hunter and I love to kite things wherever I can. I used to like kiting the entire Suppression Room in Blackwing lair just to see how many mobs I could get behind me. Anyway... here's how this trick is done.

One player capable of making ranged attacks on the move; the Kiter, teams up with two or more other players. The Kiter approaches a node from one direction and starts nuking a defender but stays close to his maximum range. As the defender approaches to attack his attacker the Kiter begins moving away. Usually multiple defenders will move to engage the Kiter.

The Kiters allies then quickly approach from a different direction and kill any defenders who remain (sometimes none) and capture the node. The kiter usually dies as two or more defenders eventually stun him and kill him... but by then, it's too late.

Sneaky trick #2: The Stealth Kite

This trick works exactly like the Kite but the Kiters allies are stealthers (druids and rogues) in position before the kite begins. As soon as the kiter has the defenders attention the stealthers own the closest target of opportunity and capture the node. The kiter, having had less time to move away from the node, can then usually move back toward his allies and focus fire the remaining defenders. This usually does NOT result in the death of the kiter.

Sneaky trick #3: CC and ninja

This trick may seem like basic knowledge but, since many Crowd Controll methods last 10 seconds or less, it isn't often employed. Obviously, if your class does not have a method of CC that lasts 10 seconds or more, than it will be a tad difficult to employ this strategy.

If you approach a node with one defender immediately move to the flag and ignore the defender until he attacks you and disrupts the flag cap. On occasion I have actually been able to capture a node as the defender is jerking off or taking a nap or something... but it's rare.

Anyway, as soon as the defender engages you, utilize your crowd control and resume capturing the node. Since you are right next to the node, and since your crowd control lasts the same length of time as it takes to cap the node, you will be able to cap the node before the defender is able to attack you... unless he uses his PvP trinket... which happens... but makes it that much easier to kill the defender later.

If you are a rogue, this takes a slightly different form; you can either stealth sap the defender and cap the node or you can try and cap the node, vanish, sap the defender, and try and recap the node.

Sneaky trick #4: Pet defend

As I mentioned in my previous guide, pet classes are the best defenders. By placing a pet at a node, commanding it to stay, but place it on aggressive AI you can prevent a node cap without even being present. This becomes exceedingly frustrating to attackers especially if the pet controller is off hiding somewhere because, not only can they NOT cap the node until they deal with this pet but a hunter, warlock, or even mage is gonna pop out from who knows where and start owning there face.

A variation of this tactic I've seen is for a druid to go stealth but hide in a concealed location. Then, when someone begins to cap the node, summon the force of nature bastard on top of him. It's a lot of fun.

Sneaky trick #5: The Plug

This trick takes a group of 10 or more willing to follow directions so can't often be employed with PUGs. One person, preferably a class with a great deal of longevity (warrior, paladin, warlock, druid) heads to the farm, blacksmith, and mine. The remaining 12 players head directly to the Lumber Mill ignoring everything on their way. They steamroll anyone heading to the Lumber Mill, cap the node, and leave one defender.

The group of 11 then proceeds directly to the Stables where they also steamroll any defenders and cap the node. They then leave 6 people to defend the stables and send 5 people to run around the map cleaning up small groups of opponents.

The 6 defenders at the stables job is to keep every opponent bottled up in there starting graveyard. The 5 people who broke off play cleanup with every remaining alliance on the map and then return to the stables to maintain the bottleneck. This should result in a 5-cap if your teem is well coordinated.

Helpful hints: Dirty tricks

Farm and Stables: These nodes have "fences" surrounding open areas. These fences can often make it difficult for melee classes to engage ranged classes. If you engage a melee class on the opposite side of a fence he will have to jump over it or go around it to get to you. You can compound your advantage by immediately jumping over the other side of the fence forcing the melee class to go around or jump over a second time.

Blacksmith: The Blacksmith has 4 points from which it can be attacked... the two bridges and a ramp going down to the water on the south-east and northwest side. By selecting a defender while on the road or in the water, approaching from one of the ramps, you can often get an opening shot before he is aware of your presence. This is especially spectacular if you are a pet class which will allow you to nuke while your victim has your pet selected, incapable of seeing you and defending himself against the real danger.

Lumber Mill: If the alliance controls the lumber mill they usually resurrect and head down the south ramp to hit the blacksmith or farm. By taking the north ramp you can often kill one or two defenders and cap the node without the defenders teammates being able to react.

Lumber Mill/Mine: Prists can use some sort of power to glide down from the Lumber Mill to the Blackmsith or from the east road to the Mine. Mages can use feather fall. This can often surprise the hell out of defenders.

Because the vast amount of my experience playing in AB is as a hunter and druid I would love for anyone to tell me additional sneaky tricks they have learned with other classes to increase the versatility of this guide.

Tagged with: AB, Alliance, Arathi Basin, Horde, PvP, World of Warcraft