Curse

Zui · Feb 21, 2007, 06:28 PM // 18:28

RA/TA Map Guides - Shiverpeak Arena (Annihilation)

The Maps

Radar Map

Radar Map with Markings

Key

Red Dot: Red Starting Location

Blue Dot: Blue Starting Location

Green Highlight*: Ledge overlooking the Frozen River

Magenta Highlight*: Ledge overlooking the Frozen River

Yellow Highlight*: Ledge overlooking a lower ledge(Green Highlight)

Purple Highlight*: Ledge overlooking a lower ledge(Magenta Highlight)

Teal/Cyan Outline: Frozen River(Causes the Icy Ground effect)

Note(*): The outline shows the base of the ledge

General Layout

Shiverpeak Arena is a bowl shaped map with a frozen river placed directly between the two bases(Red Dot and Blue Dot), with two elevated paths around the river on either side. The map also has four ledges, one for each team overlooking the frozen river(Green and Magenta Highlight) and one for each team overlooking the afore mentioned ledges(Yellow and Purple Highlight). The two ledges overlooking the Frozen River are the highest in elevation (in comparison to the ground below them).

Terrain Quality

The terrain on this map is fairly smooth, although the map is shaped like a bowl, so the elevation from one spot to another can differ quite a bit. The map slopes downward as you go toward the center, with the frozen river being the lowest point on the map.

Hazards

Icy Ground

Icy ground behaves on this map like it does on every other: If you stand on the Ice for 3 seconds, you suffer a 70% movement debuff for 5 seconds. One tactic you can use to employ Icy Ground to your advantage is for a caster is to lure a melee onto the ice, and then strafe using the Q and E keys(or whatever keys you use to strafe), and allow them to hit you until they are snared, and then move to solid ground. Other that, beware of Icy Ground and try to avoid fighting on the ice.

Strategy

For the most part, battles on this map start near the ledges overlooking the frozen river(Black Dot and Green Dot). The reason this happens is because one team usually hopes the opposing team will go directly at them, and as such possibly get screwed over by the Icy Ground effect, the bad camera angle you get when you're below the ledge and looking up, or at the very least, the fact they have a positioning advantage due to the ledge. Since going straight across is a pretty bad idea, good teams decide to take the path around the Frozen River when approaching a team that is camping a ledge.

So, you're probably wondering if you should go around at the start, or try to camp your ledge, right? Well, it depends on the type of build you're playing, and on your opponents build. For example, if you're running Nature's Renewal, you might want a bit more time to set up traps and spirits, so letting the other team come to you might not be a bad idea. You will probably want to go around if the other team is just going to sit on their ledge or if you don't need any time to set up, though.

A common tactic on this map when fighting around the ledges is to position yourself in such a way that the opponents ranged attackers have to reposition themselves to actually hit you, or so that the opposing melee have to travel extra distance to get to you. For example, positioning yourself at the top of a ledge when the opposing melee is at the bottom will make you a much harder target to come beat on, since the travel time to you will be greatly increased.

One thing to keep in mind while playing on this map, because it is so elevated, is the damage bonus that Rangers get when firing with a bow on a target at lower elevation. It most likely will not be game-breaking, but if you can get extra damage, or take away from your opponents damage just by playing smart, you should.

remmeh · Feb 22, 2007, 04:58 AM // 04:58

YAYAY GOGO MSPAINT

Nice writeup.

Patrick Smit · Feb 22, 2007, 07:00 AM // 07:00

I don't like wasting time or camping too much, so usually I go around. Attacking them from the sides has the advantage that you have are on the heigths, and usually one or 2 nutcases will still be trying the ice, in order to catch the lagging member of your team. Thereby the debilitate their own team.