Monday, April 7, 2008

Good Skills for PVP

As you look over your skills you're likely to find a few that are of limited usefulness in the PVE environment. The skills that you've maybe removed from your bars because that valuable space can be taken up by skills that actually need to be used in raids.

Today I'm going to highlight skills from several classes that are useful in PVE but they really shine when (or if) if you start getting into PVP.

The good news is that for most classes there are only one or two skills that truly are of much more usefulness in the PVP arena. And for many of these classes, the skills while situational are still truly useful in the PVE setting. I'll break them down by class in no particular order.

Warlock
Many warlock skills are truly useful in all sorts of tough spots and are not going to be the sorts of things that are forgotten. Here are two.

  • Curse of Exhaustion Slow down those pesky melee types that are trying to give you some chin music. This is a talented (i.e. you only get it in the Affliction Tree) skill so not all warlocks will have it.
  • Banish Banishing of demons & elementals is well known in the PVE arena. Here's two things to keep in mind though. Other warlock pets are demons. Pets of Shamans and (Ice) Mages are elementals. Also, if you happen to find a druid silly enough to be in Tree form they are also elementals.
  • Devour Magic Your felhunter has a skill for removing magical debuffs on you and magical buffs from enemies. This is as good as a dispel magic or an arcane shot.
  • Spell Lock Your felhutner also has the spell lock ability which is great for stopping enemy casters. Don't forget about it.
Mage
Since quite often the focus is not on healing in the battlegrounds, Dampen Magic can significantly reduce the incoming magical damage. It's not much to mention, but it is something you might not think of during a BG.

Shaman
Mind Vision allows you to look far into the distance (50,000 yards). While no BG is this large, it will allow you to look at any node from the Arathi Basin Lumber Mill. Depending on where you are, you should also be able to view any other node from any place in Eye of the Storm.

Paladin
With patch 2.4, Turn Undead became Turn Evil. This means it will apply as well to demons; the demons your (not so) friendly opposing warlock spends time with.

Priest
I have only Mind Vision to offer here. But that skill can be used to great effect. It does give your target a debuff, so astute enemy players may notice you there in their grey matter.

Hunter
And the hunter seems to have the most extensive list. Here are a list of skills that I think truly shine in PVP
  • Scare Beast This applies not only to Roar in Karazhan, but also to other hunter pets and druids in travel, cat or bear forms. Most druids know cognitively that it's possible, but just aren't thinking about it. Don't try it on opposing pets that are big and red (i.e. Under Bestial Wrath)
  • Eagle Eye This is the hunter equivalent of the Shaman Far Sight skill. Lets you look at any node (depending where you are) in EOTS or AB.
  • Aspect of the Beast I know that I tend to run Track Humanoids (or rarely Track Hidden) in BGs. I assume other hunters do as well. This aspect can allow you to get into place undetected.
  • Flare This is no secret. All hunters seem to do it in BGs that I'm in. But if you've forgotten that you can Flare and light up invisible targets, let this serve as your reminder
  • Wing Clip If you've read my other articles on PVP, you'll know some classes (rogue, druid, warrior) can be successfully kited. This skill will apply a movement debuff on them allowing you to get back to range where you do your best work as a hunter.
  • Track Hidden I mentioned above that I sometimes use Track Hidden. This seems to work best when I've actually targeted the unit prior to it going into stealth. Your mileage may vary.
And that's all I gots. If you're PVPing and have these skills buried in an out of the way place, or worse, off your bars completely, think about putting them back on. They are useful enough in PVP that they just might save your life.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

there are some talents that are incredable usefull in PvP too. Like the Pally resist stun/fear talents or the eye for an eye talent (any spell crit against the pally auto reflects 30% of the dmg back to the caster) theres warriors second wind (arms)

but going into talents ablities is probably splitting hairs. Brem you call the shammys far sight, mind vision.