Pinball Wizard (AvA)

Replies: 3

Okay, this is an Endgame/Veteran build, however I’m going to have to come right out and say it won’t give you Alliance Points, much less Emperor.  That’s because it’s a Strategic build, not a Tactical one.  I use Tactics to disrupt the enemy, which is basically impossible to calculate an appropriate reward.  So, this assumes you have enough AP to get what you need (Or are already Emperor) and actually care who wins actual keeps/resources/campaigns.  Also, this is pretty strongly inspired by Deltia’s original Ricochet with the weapons/skillsets, particularly the Crit Surge/Charge combo.

Races:  Khajiit for Critical, or Orc for Speed/Healing Received (Rapid Mending/Unflinching, among others.)  Don’t want to die here.

Gear:  The base is Heavy Armor, 2H, and Bow.  As for sets, I’m running Senche’s/Skirmisher (Weapons, Jewelry, and a for the Roll Dodge bonus, and the rest a piecemail that gives Max Stamina as it’s first 2 piece effect.  (kNight’s Silence, Flanking, what have you.  There’s a bunch of them.)  If I had a full set of Draugr Hulk, or a group to grind one out, it would be that.

Mundus:  Steed Stone.  (I’d love Twice Born Star with Divines, but WE.)

Skills:  This is Harass, and Kite.  Other than Scouting, the main plan is to Taunt (Not the traditional way) and lead them off the march/guarding bridges/passes, and so forth.  Logistic disruption, Operations-to-Strategy, preventing them from any meaningful Tactical action.  So, everything is set up for Mobility, and Survival.  (Also great for running Scout quests, basically where all my AP comes from.)  Not Kills.  That’s their win condition, if you kill them, or they kill you, they go back to whatever it is they’re doing, or wherever they were headded en mass.  The point is to break up such armies, distract them, and leading them off on wild goose chases until they realize you’re playing the Wild Goose.  (Also inot Rabit Traps if you can set up Ambushes with your friends.)  Players, Plural.  If you can 1vX 2 people, for as long as you keep them away from the army, they’re not helping their army.  With practice, I routinely pull squads of 3-4, which is Fun.  That’s most of what I get out of this, not kills, not AP, not gear, but hours of fun for the whole enemy.  It also demoralizes the piss out f them, just going by the comments in Global Chat.  They HATE this, so even when they finally kill me, and regroup, and start doing something useful, they’re so pissed they can’t think straight.  So, basically a Troll.  Griefkwing for the AD, that’s what it’s all about.  (Oh yeah, run the AD, they have teh Senche’s Bite.  Roll Dodge not just for Major Expedition, but also a boost to Weapon Damage!)

Bow:  This is to get their attention.  DPS/Burst is actually rather poor, however you have Hasty Retreat, to stack on Hurricane, so there’s that.

1. Ball Lightning:  Evasion/Mobility.  Also bright, and shiney, so you can follow the dotted line.  .  .  You want them to follow the dotted line.
2. Critical Surge:  Keep this up, it’s a major Heal.  With the Charge, which is a guaranteed Crit.  Also:
3. Magnum Shot:  For the 1 swap combo, to Critical Charge.  See below, but this also spreads apart their already spread apart (To resist AoD like Caltrops.) formation.
4. Unstable Clanfear:  Emergency Heal.  Also follows me, so they follow it, but kind of retarded.  So, they actually get distracted following it when they lose sight of me.  Trying not to die here.
5. Bound Armaments:  Stamina, Spamina, you need more of it.  Also physical resistance doesn’t hurt (You) and I like to say hello with a Sneak Attack from out of Range.
6. Energy Overload:  Basically for a 3rd bar.  Also, Magicka Recovery, and bright shiny to get their attention.

2H Charger:  This is basically what makes you look like a Threat.  You aren’t, but the idea is that Taunt pokes like Pierce Armor doesn’t really do anything in PvP.  Again, you’re not trying to Kill them, you’re trying to piss them off, and make them chase you.  Also combos with Critical Surge for a powerful Strike/Heal before you hike up your skirts, and run away, giggling…

1.  Dark Deal:  Trying not to die here.  Also, Stamina!
2. Forward Momentum:  Also cleanses Snares, and stacks on Critical
3. Critcal Charge:  With Crit Surge, and everything you can put into Damage, a pretty massive Heal/Damage Spike.  “Ow!  Get her!”  My Taunt.
4. Retreating Maneuver:  Removes Snares, and Major Expedition to stack on:
5. Hurricane:  Minor Expedition, with an Orc (And Medium Armor…) the fastest Sprint speed you can get.  I outrun Horses at full Gallop.  Which can’t attack.
6. Supression: Field for Now.  Nothing really works here, but it’s basically another Taunt.  Pop this and run!

Overload Bar:  Basically for Utility, Speed, Recovery (Energy from Tapattacks/Weaving) and to burst kill when I absolutely have to burst-kill.  Actually Weaves pretty good once you get the rotation down…

1. Ball Lightning:  .  .  .
2. Structured Entropy:  Good Dot/Heal, also leads right back to me.  Visually tells them where I am.  I have used Consuming Trap as well.
3. Silver Shards:  I use this for trash-mob pulls too.  It hits 3, really gets their attention, especially from Stealth.  Generally from Stealth if I don’t have my Bow out yet.
4. Hurricane:  Fast and high visibility is the name of the game.
5. Retreating Manuver:  ME, and Cleanse.
6. Toggle back (To bow)

Okay, this is called the Pinball Wizard, not only because you want to be bouncing from target-to-target, but also because the Magnum Shot/Charge combo (Notice it doesn’t KD, or Snare?  You WANT them to chase you, no Roots either) actually spreads out, and disrupts the enemy.  Yes, there’s some good Magicka and Stamina (Charge) based Heals, and Heavy (Possibly Orc) armor to help you survive, but the primary defense is to bounce around faster than they can target you, out of AoEs.  Even in Seiges (Mostly Resources for lack of Walls/Doors to deal with) they waste so much Stam/Agicka spamming AoEs around, they can’t focus fire your allies/the defenders, which is presumably what they’re there for in the first place.  Tha’s the strategy, the opposite of my Assassin’s Creed.

“Don’t kill.  Fight.”  Because as long as they’re fighting/chasing me, they’re not earning AP

(Okay, when they eventually kill me, and they do, but it can be most of an Hour later if I piss them off enough, and I’ve led them deep into AD territory where they can’t really Fast Travel back without deathspawning, which earns my TEAM AP…)  That’s basically what this is about solo-AvA for the Team, to disrupt Armies, so they can’t get anything accomplished as effectively.  Even if they don’t chase me, I can still Pinball around to keep them distracted trying to pin me down, while the Alliance rallies/regroups to kill them off.