Neverwinter GWF PvP Disengaging Theorycrafting

Neverwinter GWF PvP Disengaging Tactic Theorycrafting by kolatmaster

Greetings my friends and fellow GWF enthusiasts!

Since hitting 60 on my first GWF build, using the Instigator path I decided to level up a second GWF. This one primarily focused by leveling via PvP. My first GWF was a Dwarf who started out with 18str/17con/13dex/10/10/8. I wanted to be a little bit more ‘min/max’ with my second incarnation (yes I still have the first one active!), and went Half-Orc with 18str/18dex/12con/10/10/10.

The Half-Orc is currently level 33, and I spent a majority of the levels exclusively in PvP. I am aware that GWF is decent at lower/mid levels then it is later when everyone is 60. Until a few levels ago, I spent a good portion of my PvPing running around haphazardly trying to kill as many people as possible while capping flags whenever I could. I would end up going like… 6-10, 8-8, 6-4, 5-12, etc. Mostly about with more deaths then kills (outside of randomly stellar games) and I’d be middle of the pack points wise. Not bad, not good, but fairly even.

Later in the 20s I noticed people were able to kill me more readily, particularly TR/CW/etc. Mainly based on abilities, and such. So I took a few moments to truly look at the goals of PvPing and theorycraft the GWF strengths/weaknesses in relation to the other classes.

TR – Supreme killers, and annoying stealth.
GF – Hard as hell to kill, but can eventually be worn down.
CW -Surpeme annoyance with long range spells and teleports.
DC – Fairly hard to kill, with enough CC to also be annoying (plus Heals of course!)

GWF – Gap closers w/Sprint and Mighty Leap, fairly hard to kill with armor/HPs, can hit multiple targets, and can be immune to CC for a time with Unstoppable.

So, the commonality I see for the GWF is that we can be immune/annoying to CC, and we can close distances fast, while being tanky enough to be annoying. If we flip the closing distance fast to being able to extract oneself from a dangerous situation in time of need, we get to the heart of the Tao of Disengaging.

What I have begun to do is quite simply really… At the beginning of the queue I suggest that I (if the only GWF in the group) go to Flag 1 while the other four members of the team go to the mid Flag 2. Once I cap the first flag, I run towards the 2nd flag and scout out anyone low on health. If I think I can get in a quick hit w/Flourish/Takedown/etc. I go for it, and then disengage. Or I continue on to the opponents Flag 3, and camp it until one or two members of the opposing team come to interfere. When they do come, I am looking to make the fight last as long as possible while having my opponents use as many of their abilities as they can. Once I am down to 25% or lower hitpoints, I start paying close attention to their level of hitpoints/what they have used/if reinforcements are coming/etc. Once the determination is made that I believe my defeat is inevitable, I disengage w/Sprinting-Charging and/or Mighty Leaping away. Immediately going to the nearest Health Pot, or my teams DC (if we have one).

Disengaging can have people chase you or spend time capping the flag you were already on. Thus taking points away from the opposing team. I then heal and make a determination to return if I feel there is a single opponent I can take out (after previously damaging them), or swing back through Flag 2 to assist my teammates as necessary by ‘sniping’ out someone low on HPs. Once that is done, I begin to roam around again. Constantly trying to engage someone 1v1 or even 1v2 (if they are cumulatively low on HPs) thereby tying them up as the rest of my team controls the mid Flag and/or engages in battle at another flag.

The ability of the GWF to be able to ignore CC with Unstoppable, Spring/Might Leap away from any fight we want to, and be able to take a healthy amount of damage, is something we must strive (particularly in PvP) to use to our advantage. The goal is to cost the opponent more then it is worth to kill you. If you 1v1 a TR or a CW that is one less TR/CW that is engaging the rest of your team. You CAN survive them, and also put a healthy amount of damage to them, and kite them away from more ‘valuable’ targets. We are insanely mobile when you look at Unstoppable/Sprint/Mighty Leap. To be a true asset to the team, we must utilize this to our utmost advantage.

Since I started consciously doing this for the last 6-7 levels, and focused on the Tao of Disengaging, I have found (in over 20 PvP matches) it to be quite an effective tactic. My Kill/Death ratio has plummeted… Frequently being 0-4 kills with 0-4 deaths, and always close to even. While my points, between capping/assists, putting me in the Top 2 of my team the norm, and 1st place fairly often.

Now, obviously, as I scale up in level I need to test this out as everyone’s paragon path makes them better over all. I have just noticed a significant up tick in my overall performance, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Please feel free to use this tactic, the Tao of Disengaging, as you see fit. Thus far I have been pleasantly surprised, and I feel it is a valid topic of discussion!