How do I pvp as WAR?

[Hierro]

I've been maining WAR since I've started playing, and I'm pretty confident I'm a competent player...in PvE. Even after the nerfs, I can still stance dance and use CDs to compensate and hold aggro just fine! I've been playing in the feast for a while, and I love it, but I want to know more cause PvP just feels like a whole different animal!

This is all so new to me, I have no idea how I should be playing. With all these PvP skills, I don't know what I should be doing. Intuition tells me I should set up some burst laying down SE, full swing, Berserk+ IR double fell cleave, but things rarely work out this way or result in a dead target even then.

I don't know what skils should have priority in AP allocation, and I'm not positive if I have the right idea of how I should burst a target down, or if that should even be the goal. Should I invest in PvP gear? what should I be aiming for? Any help would be much appreciated!

[konage]

Stay on healer. Have dps target on focus when low stun the healer. Full swing a fel cleave the focus target.

[Synestra]

I don't know what skils should have priority in AP allocation, and I'm not positive if I have the right idea of how I should burst a target down, or if that should even be the goal. Should I invest in PvP gear? what should I be aiming for? Any help would be much appreciated!

First AP's should be used to recast reductions on pretty much all skills tanks have, Mythril Tempest is only skill where i slap just one AP as there 1s extra stun is pretty meh as i use it more for killing than utility/escape(KB those low HP suckers off the cliff huehue!). For FS, Thrill and PB its best to get those tier 3 AP slots and depending what you like tier 2 for those you prefer when you have leftover AP's. Gear should be CRIT/DET/SS with sprinkle of ACC(cant really avoid this on necks anyway).

Also dont forget you have oGCD stances so pop Defiance when you need self-healing, berserk also allows some juicy 8k+ equilibrium crits and 3k secondwind crits, both thrills also stack and gives nice HP return when used+buffer(double IB can also be used for healing but its not that strong). WAR has insanly good survivability when alone so take advantage of it, there has been a FL matches where i did more healing than some healers, 100k healing done as a tank is not that bad :P

[Satyagrahi]

Let's talk about gear, which will clue you in on tactics.

Assuming each slot has the maximum amount of VIT, the secondary stat that you want to maximize, is, without question, CRIT. Get that CRIT. Use the xivdb and search for anything ilvl 150 or higher (or pvp gear that has a lower level, but enough morale to make it ilvl 150). You still need some acc, but in every slot, load up the CRIT.

Now, assuming you have CRIT on your slot, your next priority is to have enough accuracy to hit 100% of the time, without having too much. If you have too much acc, it cuts into your next priority, which is determination.

Some people might argue that skill speed is better that DET, but in my experience, I do much better when I build for DET instead of skill speed.

And it should go without saying, but never ever sacrifice your primary stat VIT for any other stat. CRIT/ACC/DET comes only after VIT is maxed out by having sufficient ilvl.

[Satyagrahi]

A good basic way for beginners to practice WAR in pvp, is to think of yourself as having two modes of burst: an opening burst, and a calculated burst.

To be clear, burst means packing in as MUCH damage as possible in a very SHORT time. WAR has the best burst by far of any tank class, so learning to burst is key.

First, let's talk about the opening burst. Once your team has decided who to hit, your first priority is to land Full Swing on that target ASAP. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this. It's almost like adding another dps to your team.

At the same time that you land full swing, you also want to try to use stun/holmgang on that target, and then hit a Fell Cleave. Do not build your stack with weaponskills/vengeance/berserk/raw intuition at this time. Just pop infuriate as you close in on your target so you have a fell cleave ready to go. Do not debuff with SE, just do the magical opening triad of full swing/CC/fell cleave.

Hopefully your teammates helped you kill this target. In any case, it is now time for the mode of calculated burst

[Satyagrahi]

What I call "the calculated burst" is the mode you will be in most of the time. This is what it sounds like--waiting for just the right time to unleash a huge amount of damage. In nearly every case, you will be responsible for staying on the opposite team's healer, trying to dps and harass and interrupt and distract in any way you can (I should mention that I am thinking of The Feast, not a frontline scenario). Often your opening burst was on the healer, but if it was on something else, you usually switch to the healer and STAY on the healer after that first quick opening.

Calculated burst mode consists of building a natural 5-stack of wrath, by using wesponskills and vengeance/berserk/raw intuition (be careful with raw intuition). Your goal is to put so much pressure on the healer, that either they die, or someone else dies when the healer has to heal themself.

Because a single critical fell cleave does far more damage than fracture, and because burst is far more effective than dot, do not use fracture. Your main goal in calculated burst is to build wrath for fell cleaves, and fracture is bad for this.

Your goal in calculated burst is to be able to do this:

Debuff with SE
Have at least 3 wrath
Heavy Swing > Skull Sunder
Activate berserk and inner release
Fell cleave
Infuriate
Fell cleave
Butcher's block....mercy stroke...etc

Use full swing and stun/holmgang when possible, for the ultimate calculated burst. Best when you are "built up" and ready to activate berserk/IR. It's also very effective to stun right after your first fell cleave, assuming the target does not have resistance. Usually I wait to see if they resist stun, though, before making the call to burn through my fell cleaves. Do not be afraid to holmgang in anticipation of stun wearing off, but beware that holmgang against a whm with fluid aura can be a bad thing.

Due to the nature of stun resistance, it is a very good idea to SAVE stun for when you have berserk/IR/infuriate all ready.

One tip for being good as war, is to lock onto your target, and hold down the forward button at all times. This keeps you GLUED to your target as much as possible, and you won't be reacting to their position, which is effected by latency and your own reaction delay.

Good luck and get those CRIT fell cleaves

Note: fitting 3 fell cleave in a berserk window is great for pve, but doesn't seem to be too effective in pvp. I notice that my hits are pretty weak when I nerf DET for skill speed. The other reason is by the time you could build a third fell cleave, you are either CC'd or the healer has healed themself.

Also note: feel free to use random fell cleaves while you are waiting on your berserk/IR/infuriate timers to all be up again. This keeps pressure on the healer. It also makes them think your fell cleave isn't too powerful

[konage]

Good healer won't die to double beserk felcleave with full swing debuff. Better off to help your dps down their target and stun their healer especially when your fighting against a astrology since they have a hard time keeping up with heals

[Satyagrahi]

It's true--you are almost certainly not going to be able to solo a decent healer. But you are an amazing asset to your team by applying this kind of intense and relentless pressure on a healer, and if a dps decides to help you at some point, healer often dies. In half the matches I play that are 8v8, I out-dps 5 of the 8 dps (partly because of the survivability and uptime of war).

And yes absolutely burst the same target with your team mates to start. But, you will find that most groups then want you to STAY on the healer, regardless of thwat the dps does--they may join you at times, or pick off someone else. Keeping this high pressure on the healer creates opportunities for the dps to make kills.

[Satyagrahi]

And I should note that the little rotation I posted there for a calculated burst is just a starting point for beginners. Obviously you will learn use stuns and other skills better the more you play.

[Hierro]

This is great info, thanks everyone!