GotW #22: XoO

http://guildwars.com/gameinfo/guilds...onslaught.html


Among the larger guilds in Guild Wars stands Xen of Onslaught (XoO), a community with three years of experience across a wide variety of online games. Active within the Guild Wars fan forums, XoO's outlook on competitive gaming distinguishes them from other guilds. Their aim: to be the best possible gaming group, while remaining free of elitism.

Being a mostly competitive guild, XoO's large member base presented something of a quandary. While many guilds choose to remain small so that only specific team(s) will represent them on the field of battle, XoO preferred to get all of its members involved. With this in mind, the guild's goals were defined—not to be the #1 guild on the ladder, but rather, to be the guild with the highest number of wins while maintaining a respectable ranking.

To achieve these ends, XoO needed a way for its members to jump into matches and to be able to play characters to which they were accustomed. This need gave rise to what XoO members refer to as the "Grab 8 and Go" method of arranging teams. Using this method, a squad leader within the guild offers to host a GvG match, and the first seven people to join the team at the Guild Hall become the other participants. Depending on the composition of the assembled group—and how daring the squad leader feels—the team may enter the match with any setup.

Their typical arrangement, however, includes four characters in an offensive role, one character designed for flag-running, two Healing Monks, and one Protection Monk. When the group is assembled, the team's squad leader may ask a few questions, such as who is carrying Enchantment-removal skills, or what an Elementalist's primary discipline is. After this brief questioning, some character's skills may be changed around to better compliment the group, or certain offensive characters may be assigned to follow either the group's main targets or off targets.

In addition to these on-the-fly arrangements, XoO has recently begun using a "Guild Build of the Month" for two days out of each week. The first of these builds was designed to help new Guild Wars players to acclimate themselves to the oftentimes tempestuous waters that are guild battles. The build uses slightly modified versions of four of the PvP templates already available in the game—the Warrior's Bane, the Pyromancer, the Abominable Snowman, and the Protection Healer—to make them more accessible to new players. Custom characters make up the build's four remaining slots and are designed to be used by the more experienced guild members participating in the match. These characters include a Necromancer/Mesmer using Tainted Flesh, a Ranger/Mesmer designed for speed and survival (whom they've dubbed the "Florida Flag-runner") and two Energy Drain healers.

By making these builds easily accessible, not only can new players join more easily, but they also have the potential to play builds or roles that are new to them. XoO hopes that its players' horizons will be broadened through the use of this build, while also deepening their interest in Guild Wars.

A Memorable Battle

One of XoO's more memorable battles took place during a GvG match, while using a "Grab 8 and Go" setup. The characters that arrived for the battle included three Warrior/Rangers, a Mesmer/Necromancer, a Warrior/Elementalist, a Necromancer/Elementalist, a Ranger/Mesmer, and a Monk/Necromancer who focused on Smiting, as opposed to Healing or Protection Prayers.

With this mélange of characters, most of the team's members began discussing who would switch out to play a Monk. It was then that XoO's guild leader stepped forth and proposed an alternate plan: The first two Warriors and the Mesmer primary would form the first team, the second two Warriors and the Necromancer would form the second team, and lastly, the Monk and Ranger would work together as flag-runners. These three groups would then act independently in an attempt to force the enemy to divert their attention around the map.

Despite some initial hesitation over their Monk-less strategy, XoO entered the match and found themselves on the Warrior's Isle. When the battle began, XoO's three squads split up, with the flag-runners heading up the middle, one squad sneaking out of the back gate, and the last squad heading around to the opponent's side gate. The plan was to have the third squad drive the enemy back into their Guild Hall, while the second circled back around to take out their NPCs. The first part of the plan was successful—XoO captured the Flag Stand and managed to relieve the other team of their Footmen and an Archer.

The squad that had attacked the enemy's base retreated at this point, and made an attempt to grab their catapult's Repair Kit on the way back. Although they had brought it to the halfway point of the map, they were soon overwhelmed by the regrouped opposing team and had to leave the Kit behind. At this point, XoO decided to shift their strategy around. On their second attack, they sent only one Warrior to attack the enemy's base. Anticipating an attack from the same three as last time, the opposing team also sent three back to their base. This turned out to be a critical mistake on their part, as the five remaining members of their team were met by XoO's seven.

The match continued in this way, with XoO gaining the Morale Bonus and pushing their foes to maximum Death Penalty. As the battle finally drew to a close, XoO found themselves the victors, showing that it is not always the planning or the build that wins the battle, but often the skill of the players involved.

Member Profiles:
Get to know some of the members of Xen of Onslaught.

Handle: Moskel
Broad Location: Texas, USA
Gaming Background: PvP-based RPG/FPS/RTS
Preferred Character: It changes based on my mood, but is most often a Warrior or Monk. Sometimes I just prefer the solitude of running flags, in which case you'll see me playing a Ranger or Elementalist.

Handle: Miss Aphex Twin
Broad Location: London, UK
Gaming Background: Various
Preferred character: Usually I play a Monk—Healing or Protection—whichever is needed at the time. Trying to keep the team alive at 5am is a nice challenge!

Handle: Clara Nainara
Broad Location: Minnesota, USA
Gaming Background: RTS, RPG, FPS
Preferred Character: I enjoy playing a Smiting pet Ranger. My favorite tactic to employ with this build is to send my faithful Moa Bird into the midst of the fray and then use various AoE skills to delight the enemy.

Handle: I Killgore I
Broad Location: New York, USA
Gaming Background: I grew up playing videogames. When I came into Guild Wars I started in PvE like most players, but when I found Xen of Onslaught I only PvP'ed.
Preferred Character: I can play any character, but usually people love me on Necromancers. The trick to playing a Necromancer, especially in Tombs or GvG, is to know about the enemy Necromancers.

Handle: Mibu Kyu
Broad Location: Ontario, Canada
Gaming Background: PvP, RPG
Preferred Character: Playing all six classes keeps the game refreshing and entertaining. I really have no favorites, but I often find myself playing a Monk.

Handle: Swiftys Chick
Broad Location: Florida, USA
Gaming Background: Guild Wars is my first attempt at a PvP game and I love it, mostly I played just about every PvE MMORPG ever put out.
Preferred character: I am a big fan of a Ranger/Mesmer flag-runner build that I modified from a popular version. I enjoy playing it because there is some joy in running through opposing teams' defenses to capture a flag, or a 1 on 1 showdown at the flag stand that can turn the tide of a GvG battle. I also love sneaking around the front of a base and sieging an attacking team inside our base.

Handle: Yarinn Darkender
Broad Location: California, USA
Gaming Background: PvP, RPGs, MMORPGs
Preferred Character: I enjoy playing a pet Smiting Ranger or Healing Monk. Signet of Judgement with Holy Strike is my preferred skill combo.

Handle: Grene Jello
Broad Location: Edmonton, Canada
Gaming Background: PvP, RPGs, MMORPGs
Preferred Character: I find the most challenging and rewarding profession to play is a Monk/Mesmer Healing/Protection/De-buff Monk Hybrid. This particular build is rare and must be skillfully incorporated into a team build as to avoid overlapping of skills and tactics with the other Monks. I enjoy the fact that as a Monk, I am the largest bull's eye on the field. When the healing triad is working well, it's a real hoot to let that pesky Warrior bounce his weapons off you while his mates are falling, until he's the only one left...seeing the fear set in as he realizes that he, too, will soon be pushing up the daisies.

Let me say, I am happy for Xen of Onslaught.

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Yet Arenanet gives no new information really. And most of the time, the team's builds are not real. (Ep and air spike?)
HOWEVER Given that it is XoO, G8&G is actually used, and they posted their october build on TGH.

The thing I hate about Guild-of-the-week. What is its purpose?
1. Glorify the guild
2. Help newbs improve their guild.

I truly don't think a newb will really learn from Anet's efforts.

Just my belief.

We're not "giving" the information, though. We're simply relaying what the guild has shared with us. Now, each guild that is featured is putting themselves in the spotlight, or answering our query about being featured. And if they give us a serious build, we're grateful. If they give us a useless build, I wonder, should we really follow after them begging for something better? Or should we put the onus squarely on them, since it is their reputation that suffers from offering something that's not very valuable?

It's like an math class except instead of numbers, we're all "students of the game." We, as readers, listen to the report of another student and we appraise what we are being told. Is it worthwhile? Can we benefit from it? Is it something worth an "A" or an "F?"

The purpose of Guild of the Week is to share information about the guilds of Guild Wars -- to introduce players to another group they might meet, hear about, even possibly join. It's also about seeing the game through the eyes of another group of players. There is some "glory" to the guild, I suppose, and value to new guilds, too. Overall, obviously, we think GotW is a good feature and that is offers players and fans a good read. But we could certainly pass along the word that players are very discerning and that a guild might want to give us a viable build and not just fluff, since the players who read the article are going to be very observant.

P.S. I wanted to make it clear that I'm speaking in generalities, and none of my comments apply to any guild in particular.

Very true Gaile. Indeed why would a guild put out there for all the world to see: Thier best build. Its like begging to be taken advantage of. Or if that guild is one of the to 100 whats to stop people from mass producing thier build? If they went through the trouble to make their build themselfs it really makes it pointless. People could just wait for ever guild of the week and copy thier build until the next week arrives.

If I remember correctly, in my short time in [vv] (before it was disbanded), I do remember facing I think Ep. They were running a flawless air spike. There was only two weaknesses; to go and take out their damagers before they took you out or survive long enough to hit them in the time of their exhaustion. However both of those are much easier said than done and many of the members playing that match (myself included) were no experienced enough to take on something like that.

its only a matter of time before a guild decides to post the ub3r mending build as its guild build.

Mending Ftw!~

Knowing the skills in a build or even their general tactics for playing it doesn't mean you can do so. The game is a lot more about player skill than it is the player's 8 skills.

I'd guess that any of the top 20 guilds could stay in at least the top 100 running just this for a build:

5x Air Elementalist/Me - 16 Air, 13 Energy Storage -- Glyph of Lesser Energy, Lightning Orb, Drain Enchantment, Res Sig, (4 blank slots)
1x Protection Healer premade template
2x Fi Boon Healer template

The other thing is building to the abilities of your players. Some teams might have players that position with almost ESP mitigating a lot of damage. That team can afford to build a lot more offensively than a team with poor positioning. Some of the top guilds use this postitioning ability and only run a two monk backline -- most "average/good" guilds taking that build would get run over with it.

In closing too once you start playing in or against the top 50 guilds on a regular basis you learn what everyone else runs. You then sit down with your build and determine how to counter the teams that give you problems. This means while it works against their competition it may not work against other segments of the ladder. As an example last night we ended up running some "Grab 8 and Go" with all warrior offenses. Most teams right now are running 1 -- maybe 2 warriors, but certainly not 4 or 5. We caused quite a few teams some issues because of this (top 20 guilds -- we lost the matches but we got a lot more kills than we have against them in many other cases).

im very happy for XoO. i have played them many times in tombs and once in gvg. they deserve it, good guild.

as far as posting "fluff builds", whatever. my view on it is this: if a guild gives up a fluff build rather than a real build, no love lost here. i dont have any hangups about posting our build, but if my leader said not to i wouldnt. the reason i dont care is that unless you are in the tournament, you dont know who you are fighting until their name pops up.. you cant really use an antibuild strat unless you know the build beforehand, and you dont.

on the other hand, giving your build out does give other guilds reason to copy it. that really doesnt scare me much tho becasue after all, if they can run your build better than you, they probably are the better team.

Thing is, EP was guild-of-the-week. And guess what? While it was guild of the week, they were NOT playing air spike, which had gone out of FotM at least a month before. They were playing nice little Energy Denial, and keeping it as quiet as possible.
I believe that many top guilds were afraid of this.

Finally, I do congratulate you Moskel. I know your guild still takes a lot of crap, even after the thing with DJ Wheat. But I think you're doing a good job.
And hey, I'm still waiting for 150 XoO Tombs groups to storm all at once.

Congrats To XoO

grats.

but one XoO-er hates IWAY.

....

what? you referring to the same EP i'm thinking about? maybe when they were first starting off and facing the high ranked guilds they ran that, but don't remember them running an air spike

that's funny because i've ran across XoO on IWAY

LOL.

shame on that XoOer guy then. ^^