PvE veteran looking for the start button in WvW

[Harfang.1507]

Background: veteran (but not elite) PvE player needs Gifts of Battle. WvW it is then. Last time I did WvW probably dates back to 2013 when it was needed for map completion. I quit as soon as it was done.

I do have a general idea of how WvW works nowadays. I have watched Mukluk's overview of it, plus a couple more videos on YouTube. I have geared my scrapper in Minstrel armor. While I hold my own in PvE, I know I am currently helpless outside a zerg, so I might as well support the others. Roaming is not for me. I have also a rank each in gliding, provisions and warclaw. I barely started the warclaw reward track.

My problem: on my first two nights, I encountered but one zerg (or my side). I followed them like a stray puppy until they adopted me, but without a warclaw of my own, I could not keep up with them. We did not accomplish much while I was tagging along.

What I am asking: how should a lone player approach WvW on their first week? One not good a PvP? Are there things I can solo while significantly advancing WvW masteries and reward tracks?

[Zikory.6871]

If you are actually trying to learn and participate in WvW. Ask for your servers discord (most of them have one) and join a guild. Don't worry if its a good or bad guild, you just need people to team up with to learn the basics. From there you can pick a new server or Guild that fits your interests more once you get a good idea of what you want out of WvW. 

If GoB is your only real reason. Do your WvW dailies for the reward track pot and just jump from map to map flipping sentries and camps for as long as you feel up to it. Keep an eye out for Commander tags, Orange swords, and call outs in /m /t for stuff going on and respond to stuff that will get you WXP. https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_Experience Stuff that gives WXP. 

If you say what server you are on, people may be able to point you in the right direction. 

[Hotride.2187]

The only thing you can do to advance the reward track faster is maintain T6 participation. At T6, it should take around 8 hours to finish the reward track. With daily rewards / pips chests I think its a bit faster, though I'm not sure how much faster. There are some boosters listed in the wiki page as well, though I've never used any (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/WvW_Reward_Track#Reward_track_modifiers).

 

As commented above easiest to  maintain participation is to capture camps (resets your timer to 10 min) / sentries (resets your timer to 5 min).

 

I would join tags/zergs only if you enjoy the gameplay, you probably want to be on whatever voice they are using (usually discord) for best experience.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Hotride.2187

[Harfang.1507]

Thank you both for your input. I will keep that in mind and look for my server's Discord. I am on Kaineng.

[Telgum.6071]

10 hours ago, Harfang.1507 said:

What I am asking: how should a lone player approach WvW on their first week? One not good a PvP? Are there things I can solo while significantly advancing WvW masteries and reward tracks?

Get on your server discord, read everything (rules, schedule, stuff like that) and join a public tag. 

 

Scrapper support is very valuable on zergs, although I'd recommend you to get a dps gear too if possible, for those situations where you have to fight alone. You say you are not good but that's the starting point for everyone, you have to eat some dust to improve.

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Telgum.6071

[Strider Pj.2193]

6 hours ago, Telgum.6071 said:

You say you are not good but that's the starting point for everyone, you have to eat some dust to improve.

 

On this note specifically:

 

1.  Being good at Guild Wars 2 in PvE by itself doesn’t translate into a good player in WvW

2.  Be prepared to die a lot….  Learn from the deaths you can, laugh at the others..

3.  Try to learn positioning.  It can be as valuable as figuring out your skills.  ‘Staying on tag’ can mean slightly different things based on your class.

4.  Be flexible….  The fact that you came to the forums asking for suggestions (not that you have to take all of them lol) is a good start.  
5.  People mentioned discord:  it’s extremely helpful.  It also starts to plug you into aspects of the servers community.  People on here always have the ‘best’ (🤪) ideas..  But each server tends to function slightly differently.

[Harfang.1507]

Thanks to a plethora of buffs and completed dailies, I am now about halfway through the warclaw reward track. Going from A to B without a mount reminds me of going through the WoW Barrens back in 2004.

Now, Discord . . . I am still unfamiliar with that--older gamer here. I am on my two guilds' discords and I joined what is supposedly Kaineng's last night. Not a single message I could see or hear. I just found this morning a link to yet another discord by HolyAzure, a commander I did see last night. It was a rough time defending our assets on Sea of Sorrows.

[Strider Pj.2193]

36 minutes ago, Harfang.1507 said:

Thanks to a plethora of buffs and completed dailies, I am now about halfway through the warclaw reward track. Going from A to B without a mount reminds me of going through the WoW Barrens back in 2004.

Now, Discord . . . I am still unfamiliar with that--older gamer here. I am on my two guilds' discords and I joined what is supposedly Kaineng's last night. Not a single message I could see or hear. I just found this morning a link to yet another discord by HolyAzure, a commander I did see last night. It was a rough time defending our assets on Sea of Sorrows.

with the link system, sometimes people go to a guild discord, or a different server discord.  It just depends.

 

also a little older gamer..  and I utilize 4 discord channels regularly as for PvE, WvW, the WvW guild I run with, and my main guild.  
 

if you are following a tag, I usually will message them something simple like ‘are you in a discord’.

 

often, the guilds on my server will put the info into their squad message.

[LSD.4673]

6 hours ago, Harfang.1507 said:

Going from A to B without a mount reminds me of going through the WoW Barrens back in 2004.

Don't pin too much on the Warclaw. It's useful for not having to think while travelling, but the speed isn't exceptional. 

Edited July 25, 2021 by LSD.4673
mobile

[Daredevil.2745]

We don't need PvE players in WvW, WvW is a place for skilled players

Play PvP for a year, after that you may come to WvW, thank you.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Daredevil.2745

[XenesisII.1540]

21 minutes ago, Daredevil.2745 said:

We don't need PvE players in WvW, WvW is a place for skilled players

Play PvP for a year, after that you may come to WvW, thank you.

 

Excuse me sir, do you know why I pulled you over?

Pulls out report pad

No?

Ok well I need to see your Pvp license and registration and insurance information.

How long have you been pvping before you came onto this map?

What's your current kdr?

Were you aware you have didn't have ascended food on?

Looks at the side of the mount

Step off the mount and stand by the sentry flag please.

Scribble scribble

Now I'd like for you to walk a straight line from sentry to tower while holding your weapon to your nose and jump dodging.

Are you carrying any illegal stealth skills with you?

Hm a roll dodge?

Pulls out the cuffs

Yeah sorry but I'm afraid you'll have to be returned to Pve.

Hey don't you dare teleport away from me!

Grabs the team radio

Central we got another Deadeye runner, requesting zerg backup at my location!

[SweetPotato.7456]

Do not pull the tactivators. 

[Samis.1750]

1. Minstrel armor might delay your rewards if you don't put out some damage on enemies (players or the npcs in camps/towers). Roaming alone on Minstrel is pointless unless you are with others as you put out no damage.  Even if you don't have a mount, you can get a speed boost from their mount if you run alongside those in the group that have unlocked a WvW trait.

 

2. Go visit the bartender in your guild hall to get a 10% WvW reward track boost. Consume an exp booster if you have 1 in your bank.

 

3. Try to do most of your dailies, though taking a keep might not be feasible and getting the 2 WvW experience bars filled for a different WvW daily is also very tough.

 

4. Honestly, I'd run more of a roamer build so you can run around and take camps, sentries, etc.  and then joint up with groups if it looks like they are going for a larger objective.

 

5. if you join a squad on the map, join their Discord. It is usually (but not always) shown when you click the squad massage bar.

 

6. Take your time and try to have fun. I'm an older players who clicks most of my skills and I do alright. Feel free to message me in-game if you need some more help, though it seems that you are doing alright now.

 

[Harfang.1507]

12 hours ago, Samis.1750 said:

1. Minstrel armor might delay your rewards if you don't put out some damage on enemies (players or the npcs in camps/towers). Roaming alone on Minstrel is pointless unless you are with others as you put out no damage.  Even if you don't have a mount, you can get a speed boost from their mount if you run alongside those in the group that have unlocked a WvW trait.

 

2. Go visit the bartender in your guild hall to get a 10% WvW reward track boost. Consume an exp booster if you have 1 in your bank.

 

3. Try to do most of your dailies, though taking a keep might not be feasible and getting the 2 WvW experience bars filled for a different WvW daily is also very tough.

 

4. Honestly, I'd run more of a roamer build so you can run around and take camps, sentries, etc.  and then joint up with groups if it looks like they are going for a larger objective.

 

5. if you join a squad on the map, join their Discord. It is usually (but not always) shown when you click the squad massage bar.

 

6. Take your time and try to have fun. I'm an older players who clicks most of my skills and I do alright. Feel free to message me in-game if you need some more help, though it seems that you are doing alright now.

 

1. I see your point.

2. Was already doing it. Thank you.

3. Yes, that sounds fair. That daily was on two nights ago and I managed to get it only because of the community event and the tons of other XP buffs I was stacking.

4. That's the impression I got over the last three nights.

5. Work in progress for me. Managed to do it once. Not much out of it. 😐

6. Thank you for the support.

After three nights, warclaw reward track and collection almost done. I should complete it in the first 15 min tonight. Then it's either take a break or move on to GoB.

Last night I grafted myself on a successful zerg. That was a change from the previous two nights. The fortunes of war I would say. I still feel like I am the runt of the pack, the one that predators feed off. It's going to take time for WvW to grow on me, but I understand I'll have to buckle up.

Thank you all.