A Non-PvPer's Dabble In The Arena Tourney
Posted by 
pixiestixy on Friday, April 3, 2009 - 11 Comments Tags: 3v3, Drama, arena, arena tournament, battlegrounds, murloc, noob, pets, pugs, tourney, vanquisher
pixiestixy on Friday, April 3, 2009 - 11 Comments Tags: 3v3, Drama, arena, arena tournament, battlegrounds, murloc, noob, pets, pugs, tourney, vanquisher 
At first, I didn't give it much thought when a WoW acquaintance asked me to join his 3v3 arena team for the tournament. "Sure," I said. "Sounds like fun."Actually, I didn't think it was a serious request. I mean, really - he was asking me, of all people? I'm still working to ding level 80 for the first time, and haven't ventured much into the realm of PvP. Back in the pre-BC days when my main was a warrior, I played a bit of Battlegrounds in Warsong Gulch. Even then, I never dared walk into an arena. And since I switched to my rogue, I've been focused more on leveling and only try out a battleground here and there when bored. So it seemed like an odd request.
But the idea grew on me. I kept thinking about how fun it would be to play a super-beefed-up version of my rogue. A nice change of pace, I thought. And it turned out the guy was both serious and persistent in asking me to join. I explained my lack of experience, and he didn't seem to mind. So I caved.
I paid my $20 fee. Rolled Pixiestixy. Signed the team charter. Decided on a 41/5/25 mutilate spec. Set up my action bars. And spent a couple hours figuring out the best gear, enchants and gems to use. All I needed was confirmation that the team had been formed so we could start playing toward 200 matches (and a glorious, golden-armored pet murloc) before the April 6 deadline to qualify for the next round.
So I waited. And waited. Played around with some macros. Admired my glowing-red berserking Deadly Gladiator's Shankers. Waited some more. A couple days later, I got an e-mail. My friend decided to play with a couple of his other (and, as it were, more experienced) friends, instead. I sighed in exasperation. I saw it coming, but had been hoping that wasn't the case.So I started with the obligatory search for a PuG. It seemed no one wanted a PvP noobie in their group. I don't blame them - most people who sign up probably have at least some clue what they are doing. I got no responses, not even to "BElf rogue LF a good time." I started asking RL friends (I had my husband convinced at one point, but we still needed a third). I saw several PuG requests from people saying they would just play 200 matches and lose each one to get the murloc. Pet collectors, I guess. But, somehow, that feels like cheating to me. If I'm going to do this, I oughta at least try, even if those attempts are futile. So I made a final effort to PuG it before the extended deadline to register last Friday. And finally, found a couple of takers. Myself, an affliction warlock (who also said he was no good at PvP) and a hybrid holy/ret paladin (who wanted to make top 1,000 teams to earn the Vanquisher title, but said he'd stick with us even if we lost). We became The Misfits.
The first few matches were mayhem. I had absolutely no experience to back up everything I've read about PvP. And let me tell you, the experience is much different. It's way harder to keep track of everything going on than I had expected. We only played 6 matches the first night, with an even 3-3 record, and set a time to play again Saturday.Another 12 games in Saturday, and we had been getting worked. Despite me starting to get a better feel for the hectic arenas, our record was 6-12. Our paladin kept going AFK between matches. And then, the dreaded message. Pally "has left The Misfits."
Teamless, again. I'm taking a break to work off the annoyance, then perhaps back to PuG-ing. What have I gotten myself into?
So who all's in the tournament? What have your experiences been so far? How should us who are new to PvP find a group willing to stick it out through the 200 matches? And is there still enough time to squeeze in 200 matches before the 6th?
Reader Comments (11)
Well, getting 200 matches with idiots who leave teams after a loss is kinda impossible, sorry. :(
I would find that sob who pestered u to join the team and pull that 20$ he made u waste (so far) outa his sorry ass :P
seconded, hunt down the sob that wasted your $20 :D
Other than that, I usually stick with BGs, help to relieve my stress, hack 'n slashing those poor souls that decide to come too close to me :D
They beg you to join and you pay 20$ to join then they say "F u noob" after all you did?
Get better friend's and shoot the old ones.
I loved Arena's back during BC and was always with friends trying to get our vengeful and eventually-brutal gear.
Really the best way to get ready for the tournament is to practice practice practice, inbetween matches we'd duel as many people as we could to keep our selves on our game.
Your situation reminds me of a friend who got himself in a similar pickle. But this is obviously a lesson that will be long remembered. Getting the pvp experience while doing actual arena matches team members tend to frown upon. >.<
Good luck with the pugging- but trust me when i say that if you plan and prepare for the next season you'll enjoy yourself a WHOLE lot more.
it sounds like ur friends a total d-bag....
I also have a dilemma, I'm geared for PVE, and it's hard to find teams willing invite me. My RL friends aren't PVP'ing, so that kind of ruins the whole "PVP with friends" theme.
I don't know what to do now, Raiding is kind of fun, but it gets old. Maybe Ulduar will change that....maybe.
I've got 201 games played but only 165 games ranked on the tourney realm for my 3v3 (mark I) (Mark II only has 30 games played)
Not really sure if the 200 games all have to be ranked or not so I'm in a last minute panic to crank out another 35 games before next week
PVP is rough, especially arena. I'm used to playing my mage, though I do know how to play a pally and DK I stuck with the mage. Unfortunately my companions were all dps, so without healing we've had a hard time keeping our team above 1300 despite a combined PVP HK total in excess of 120,000 kills (on live). With the swarm of DK/Pally/DK teams, or Druid Druid Druid teams, or Druid Rogue rogue, or RMP well - it's been a rough go of it. Warlock Mage Warrior just doesn't stand up to the bulk of other groups, and with the amount of naked teams, and win trading plus cheap tactics (People naming themselves all the same using ascii characters and or naming pets the same way for example) it's borderline impossible for a team like ours to do too well.
It doesn't help that some classes, like druids are horribly imbalanced vs other classes (50,000 health, some of the best PVP cc in Arenas, a trick bag loaded with stuns, HoTs and other dirty tricks like kite and heal and immunity to most forms of CC thanks to shapeshifting) not to mention DKs, or pallys. (I expect the vast majority of top end teams will consist of those, assuming that nobody goosed their way through the matches with easy matches against naked teams).
The amount of exploitave abusive mechanics and cheap dirty tricks being used in arena are borderline rediculous and teams lacking certain components just can't compete, so honestly I wouldn't feel too bad about losing much if I were you. As far as pvp goes esp arena it's just not even remotely balanced. Just grind out your 200 games and get your murloc at least..
Me and 2 of my college dorm mates decided to make a group to go for the title. We already had a Univeristy raiding guild but had not got very far down the PvP road. It seems to be working well as the lack of vent lag has let my "friends" yell abuse at me when they arent getting healed in real time. Our team is currently 1025 which is very annoying.
But the best thing about this arrangement is the sucurity of knowing that no one will abandon the team... or else.
I'm really sorry about you're arena experience. My 3v3 team has more then 450 matches played with a 395/453 total. I'm with people in my actual arena team and we all rolled classes we are very familiar with so it wasn't extremely difficult. We do spend a lot of time on the Tournament but I still find some time for the occasional raid. Its on a totally different schedule anyway.
You'll never get 200 matches PuGing. I recommend you try to find a group of people in your wow guild before its too late.