All Aboard the WvW Hype Train!

Alexander Wilkie Posted: Jun 6, 2017 9:00 AM

Category: Columns 0

As many of you are aware, MMORPG recently had an exclusive interview with the developers in charge of the upcoming WvW reward system update, which was announced in a blog post on the same day. This update has so far gotten a huge deal of attention in the game’s community, and is highly anticipated as both a population boost and quality of life change for the game mode that players have been begging after. Before the patch, I’m going to explain the best ways to get your rewards, what to do as a new player to WvW, as well as a small sneak peek at the tier 3 armor.

Just a small side note before we get into it- pips are gained every tick (which in WvW is the time that the score is determined based on objectives owned every 5 minutes), with a total of 16 pips possible per tick. To gain any pips requires a tier 3 participation. The track will reset weekly, so if you don’t complete it then you will have to start again.

Getting rewards is much like the PvP system currently in game for seasons, where you will earn pips per match based on how well you and your team performed. In the coming update, personal statistics matter a great deal for pip gain, with a very large chunk of the pips rewarded being based on WvW rank. For veteran players, this is a godsend, as many are going to be well into the thousands, but for a new player jumping in for rewards this could be an issue. The best advice here is to grab your Experience boosters and follow tags that are going for objectives, which will get you a very large amount of World XP in a short amount of time, as well as a boost to your reward track. As well as this, your server’s position in the current skirmish rewards 1 extra pip, for example, third place gains 1 pip, second gains 2, first gains 3. This means that playing to win, and playing for points, are a great way to grab rewards, which pairs well with the new commander bonus that awards another pip.

Having a squad of 5 or more players will get you a pip, and in order to be useful, taking those 5 players to capture camps, cut off dolyaks, ninja towers or flip empty borderlands is an essential way to not only get yourself some extra rewards, but also to gain more points for your server. Of course, keep in mind you will be taking players away from the main group if you go this route, so be careful to make sure you are contributing more here than you would with the commander so you don’t damage your server’s score and cheat yourself of the skirmish placement rewards. Whilst fighting outnumbered and the server loyalty bonus are each 1 pip, for many veterans this won’t be the majority of your pip gain, and you shouldn’t worry about it too much. Transferring will of course lock you out of any pips for a full matchup, and so it’s not advised to move around unless you absolutely must.

In terms of the ascended armor, you’re going to want both the tier 1 and tier 2 version to get this, as well as a high WvW rank. Again, the best option is going to be playing with your commander and keeping a constant EXP booster going, as well as a Birthday booster if you’ve been saving it. Playing solo won’t get you nearly as much rewards, with capturing large objectives or winning large scale fights being the best way to gain both reward track participation and WvW as well as get potentially better skirmish placements. Depending on what you need more of, make sure you have either the WvW rank potion or the WvW reward track potion from your guild hall active, it can save you a lot of time getting to the rewards. If you have been saving your potions for some time now, and want to speed through rewards, this probably IS NOT the time to consume them. You will be gated by your acquisition of the Tier 2 armor anyway, so simply playing the game and letting the reward track progress naturally while you earn your pips will equal to about the same amount of time.

For new players, this is the most important advice I can give you, and will help both you and your server at getting rewards. As well as everything listed above, make sure you are running a decent build. You raid build simply won’t cut it here, as any enemy would be able to mow you down in seconds. Go to Metabattle.com, hit up the WvW section, and grab what you can for your class, with a focus on the tanky variants to make sure you are staying alive. Being dead won’t get you World XP, participation or rewards, so focus on gear like Soldier’s, Wanderer’s, even Nomads. Whilst it is important that you are dealing damage, my sincere advice is to start slow, be a wet noodle, and work your way up as you learn position and the ins and outs of the game mode. When it comes to siege, do not throw siege if you are with a commander, let them do this, as siege is both area capped and comes in different stages. Always carry the purple siege marked ‘superior’, as the regular stuff just doesn’t cut the mustard and is a significant downgrade. Get the Provisioner mastery first with your few WvW rank mastery points, as it will give you many useful benefits like cheap food and autoloot that can save you a lot of time as well as increase the number of Badges of Honour you will gain. Follow the commander at all times, and always make sure you are carrying around some supply to build what they throw for you, as fast build times often make the difference between a capture and a failure. Follow that basic advice, and you will find your time in WvW a lot more rewarding.

As a person who plays WvW constantly, this is my most hyped patch for the year, and is something I’m greatly looking forward to. New rewards, new players (hopefully many who find they love the game mode and stick around) and new goals to aim for make for one hell of a patch. Can’t wait to see you all on the battlefield!

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