Curse

some guy · Aug 14, 2008, 12:57 AM // 00:57

So i fired up observer mode, and a lot of teams are running smite+axe thumper

aka lameway also known as a TA gimmick

Teams are getting crushed by it, top 100 teams are getting owned by lameway

/quit pvp all together

3 axe thumper, 4 smite monks or so

1 runner

GG?

Apok Omen · Aug 14, 2008, 01:06 AM // 01:06

Every Meta= lameway

Mesmer in Need · Aug 14, 2008, 01:45 AM // 01:45

Yep, faced it in gvg several times. It's formidable, but it is normally run with heros, so they can't really split. Tons of Heals and AoE armor ignoring damage is nasty. Plus they buff up the flagger like crazy.

Tearz1993 · Aug 14, 2008, 02:06 AM // 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apok Omen

Every Gimmick= lameway

Fix'd

Considering the meta has been lame for the last like 3 months, I wouldn't say it was always lame.

Magikarp · Aug 14, 2008, 02:17 AM // 02:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tearz1993

Fix'd

Considering the meta has been lame for the last like 3 months, I wouldn't say it was always lame.

last five months, but yeah, i agree. the meta has had ups and downs, but recently.. idk.. its just been stale and aggravating...

Me<3You · Aug 14, 2008, 02:39 AM // 02:39

This ''meta'' with Axe thumper+Simter is weak, Just DON'T give them any condi Or Hexes, Pull out Spikes ish, Shouldn'y have ANY problem.

~

Krill · Aug 14, 2008, 02:46 AM // 02:46

Started to post this in the "Give up on gvg" thread but yes, seen the thumper smite already a few times.

Once was quad smiters, triple axe thumpers and a tainted hero. I think they had 2 copies of SoJ, 1 resilience and 1 pendulum monk.

Once was an axe thumper, hammer thumper, sf ele, tainted hero and a similar quad smite backline.

Welcome to the lameness that is buffed [rampage as one] spamming [disrupting chop] [disrupting lunge] [agonizing chop].

la_cabra_de_vida · Aug 14, 2008, 02:49 AM // 02:49

We have only asked for rao to be nerfed again a million times on these forums too. Not that izzy is smart anyway.

some guy · Aug 14, 2008, 03:12 AM // 03:12

Ok the gimmick way has SoJ, and a lot of times warriors kill them selves with reversal of damage and aoe smites, since spike targets are like being protted up with SoJ instantly. The thumpers basically spam interupts and DW on the backline, the monks and the flagger can not keep up with the thumpers.

just kill RaO

Artisan Archer · Aug 14, 2008, 06:16 AM // 06:16

Well, make a pvp-version of RaO then. Cause it's still fun to use in pve.

Tearz1993 · Aug 14, 2008, 06:43 AM // 06:43

Spike out the heroes since your wars *should* be using bull's strike before the spikes. Eliminates the hero reaction time since they're kd'ed and they tend to cast as soon as they get up as well. (By the way this is just a tip/trick and by no means the sure-fire way to beat this build)

Teh [prefession]-zorz · Aug 14, 2008, 07:24 AM // 07:24

edit:....

Ive seen it, and the splitting team has won...

PyrAnkh · Aug 14, 2008, 07:52 AM // 07:52

LaG lost most of their games against balanced. 2 options:

1. they suck
2. its not unbeatable

i think both.

distilledwill · Aug 14, 2008, 07:58 AM // 07:58

TBH, Im loving the new Meta. Its 10x better than 4 monks + 2 mes which kite till 18mins.

I like the new variety which is introduced with a new update. Also, bear in mind that the meta is far from settled.

forc · Aug 14, 2008, 08:16 AM // 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by some guy

just kill RaO

And Smiter's Boon.

jana_the_stranger · Aug 14, 2008, 08:29 AM // 08:29

and hero's in pvp or it ain't pvp

Ec]-[oMaN · Aug 14, 2008, 02:02 PM // 14:02

Right now I'd say there is a lamer template out there, in the form of a paragon buff

Divinus Stella · Aug 14, 2008, 02:20 PM // 14:20

Its not that bad, the only top100 teams that lose to it are awful and dont deserve to be top100.

Its actually quite weak if you dont feed them with hexs and conditions.

matthew5276 · Aug 14, 2008, 02:24 PM // 14:24

The Smiter / ranger way is overpowered, as can be seen by guilds like [Desk] who previously found it hard to rise above r750, being able to climb to r305 in just a couple of days, and also being able to beat team like SpNv running this new build.

However, as updates seem to be coming every month now, we've probably still got a few weeks until something may be done to nerf it, and so rather than just complaining about it, it is better, for now, to think of strategies to beat it. My guild have thought long and hard, and after observing many top guilds attempting to counter it we came up with basically this:

step 1. If there is no human monk, send all offence and a flagger into thier base, hopefulyl causing a full team fall back by them, and not allowing them to ever build up enough pressure to kill anything.

step 2. If they have 1 human monk, then send a small split - a ranger for example, to either lure the human monk back, allowing the main team to spike down the heros, or luring the flagger back, either forcing a morale, or forcing an rao to run a flag.

step 3. If you cannot split effectively, then playing 8 vs 8 can be fairly easy, Basicaly, dont hex or condition anyone unnecersarily, dont spam deep wound, or anything similar as it will fire back into your monks faces and cause massive aoe damage from smite condition. Warriors build up adren on pets, and then as soon as adren is full, get a clean spike, with a kd on the human monk. The get back on pets, spike again, untill the human monk is dped, then switch to the hard resser, dp that, then switch to the next one.

4. If you have a ranger, let him run flags, as a weapon of warding can be very usefull at the stand, and a ranger can be more harm than help against this build.

It can be faught 8 v 8, but only with the right tactics. Also, as this build is very common now (I think about 1 out of 3 of the guilds I fought last night ran a varient of this) you can sec your build for it. For example, adding a fall back is usefull if you have a paragon. stanced monk or aegis chains are much more usefull then hex breaker against this.

These tactics have had a high sucess rate with my guild, as we have beating 3 of these teams recently, and only lost 1.

I hope this can help.

the_deSKtructor · Aug 14, 2008, 03:01 PM // 15:01

Well, both RaO and smiters were a problem before the update. Now those kind of builds are viable since splitting doesn't reward enough anymore, and in 8v8 it's an easy and effective build to run.