Guild of the Week: The Last Pride (EvIL)
The road to Taipei was a three month journey, paved with steel and worn by the soles of the stalwart. From all corners of the world they came with guild heraldry brandished, those who sought to answer the call to greatness. For glory or gain, notoriety or fame, they fought. In the fevered pitch of the battles that ensued, guilds fell one by one to the waysidetempering the gold to be given to the last guild standingThe Last Pride.
The winners of the first Guild Wars World Championship, The Last Pride, took some time out after their victory to answer some of our questions.
Can you share with us some of the history of your guild?
Our history is somewhat similar to the history of Guild Wars in Korea, and most of our members played during the initial Korean frontier sessions. We have achieved victories in many small to medium tournaments held in Korea. Our name, The Last Pride, was created about three months ago.
As a guild, do you have any philosophy or goals you aim to achieve?
Our goal was to win the World Championship, and we're thrilled to have accomplished that goal. We think it is important to have strong offline connections as well as online meetings, so we meet offline regularly. Even if some of our members decide to leave the gaming scene, our relationship lives on.
Why would someone want to join The Last Pride?
We think that because we play many guild battles, people are attracted to being a part of our guild. Currently we have eight core members, and we accepted one player right before the World Championship, so we have a total of nine members. Now that the tournament is over, we plan to increase our size.
When we're playing guild battles, foreign users Whisper us a lot. We're very sorry to have to turn down those requests, but communication is the key to successful guild battles. If we can't communicate well, we have a problem.
How do you see the guild evolving?
We have heard that Factions will have strong PvP and cooperative play modes, and that you should be good in both types of gameplay. Territory conquest and alliance concepts are very appealing, and we have a lot of anticipation for these. We will create a new homepage of our own, and we will begin preparing ourselves for Factions.
PvP Game Discussion
Can you explain to us two team builds you used in the GWWC?
2 Warriors, 1 Ranger, 1 Elementalist, 1 Mesmer, 1 Necromancer, 2 Monks. This build was built to intensify the Mesmer attribute. It has a weak defense, but its offense is very strong.
2 Warriors, 1 Ranger, 1 Elementalist, 2 Mesmers, 2 Monks. This build is good both in defense and offense. It's a very balanced build.
Most of the games played as we had expected. We have prepared for many situations, and we had long meetings about them. After playing on the first day, we concluded that voice chat was not working (obsolete.) If the leader's voice was not heard, we moved as we had promised without the voice direction.
When playing, we did not hide any of our builds. We played as we normally would play. Builds we used against Val, iQ, and WM are similar.
Recently we started playing Divine/Protection Monks. We have determined that instantaneous healing power is greater than Healing Prayer Monks. There are many debuffs from the enemy, but the act of debuffing itself, becomes healing. I think this is the reason why many people use this type of Monk.
What kinds of things has the guild tried to improve in its gameplay?
We try to use voice chat only for necessary game communication. Game reading is distributed amongst our players to provide a more complete view of the battle, and to help make better tactical decisions.
Prior to the Championship, we spent a lot of time practicing for timing purposes. For example, killing after the resurrection time, checking when the flags were put in, working on timing for killing enemies and NPCs.
When in battle, how do you prioritize target calling?
If a Monk is within range, he is our first priority. We also usually target an enemy team's Mesmer or Warriors who are well within our range. This is only a general guideline, and things can change depending on the in-game situation.
How do you get out of difficult situations, for example being attacked from both sides?
When we're being attacked from both sides, we counter back both sides. Readers play the important role of making fast decisions.
What type of PvP does the guild enjoy the most?
We have played all of the content in Guild Wars and think that guild battles are the most fun. Guild battle is the "flower" of Guild Wars.
Which guild hall does the guild prefer?
We like all maps and think that each has its own strategic points.
Are there any battles that have been particularly memorable for the guild?
Our battle with [Rift] was very impressive. Their party with Fire Elementalists had very strong offensive power; we thought we had lost the battle. We continuously stuck with the split strategy and came back to kill the Guild Lord in 35 minutes.
—Dan Jang
The first match with WM during the championship was very memorable.
—Last of Master
In the 2nd match with iQ, we both attacked the Guild Lord. If the Necromancer from their party was there until the end, we would have lost the game.
—Woonori
Does the guild have get-togethers outside of the game?
Last summer, we got together and went to the beach, and we have met at tournaments held in Korea. Oftentimes, we get together regardless of the game and share a few drinks. After the Championship, e promised ourselves we would go on a trip together after the event was over, regardless of whether we won. We plan to take that trip in about two weeks.
What unique attribute does your guild have?
We have never used a three-Monk system. We are very strong in 4:4, so that's why we like the split party so much.
Where did you get your inspiration for this setup?
Previously, when Elementalist/Ranger 1.4 was the trend, (1.4 is hitting a single target with multiple attacks), we concluded that regardless of how many Monks you have, you can't defend against the 1.4. When in a frontal battle as well as a split party, 2 Monks are really the optimal number of healers.
Member Profiles
Get to know the members of The Last Pride.
- Handle: Pride Eun Jong
Location: Korea
Gaming Background: Prior to playing GW, I played RTSs and RPGs. I've always loved gaming as a youngster.
Preferred Character: Mesmer/Elementalist. I've used the Energy Surge/Domination Mesmer with Blackout and Gale. These two skills are defensive and offensive at the same time, so they're very appealing. Eliminate adrenaline from Warriors with Blackout and use Gale on Monks. Time is a very critical focus.
Guild Position: I am the guild master. I do the overall supervising in PvP matches.
Reason for Joining: Aside from being a guild member, I really liked hanging with this group and playing the game with them.
- Handle: Last of Master
Location: Korea
Gaming Background: It has been about eight years since I came to the gaming community. The past five years have been for online gaming. I've played through most of the games.
Preferred Character: Warrior/Elementalist with Swordsmanship. I first fill up my adrenaline and use Gale with proper timing to kill the enemy.
Guild Position: I'm the second-in-command guild master, and I give the action orders to the members during PvP matches.
Reason for Joining: I've joined to be the best with the members I've come to know for a long time.
- Handle: Dan Jang
Location: Korea
Preferred Character: Elementalist/Monk with Enervating Charge and Ward Against Melee for defense. This character will join the 1.4 when the timing is right.
Guild Position: Second-in-command guild master and I do the target calling.
Reason for Joining: I joined this guild because I wanted to play the game with people I love and with whom I can enjoy the offline life with as well.
- Handle: De Vil
Location: Korea
Preferred Character: Necromancer/Monk. I use Offering of Blood all the time. My primary roles are messing with Warriors, giving Energy to Monks, and using Draw Conditions on our Warriors.
Guild Position: Officer. I watch Heroes' Ascent and Observer mode to understand the flow of the builds.
Reason for Joining: I like the guild's playing style.
- Handle: War 우노리
Location: Korea
Gaming Background: I have a long history in gaming, so I have played many games. I like Guild Wars because both the PvP and cooperative play aspects are fun.
Preferred Character: Ranger/Mesmer. I mostly use Poison. Using Savage Shot, I interrupt foes' actions. I also play defense when our territory is threatened.
Guild Position: Officer. I am in charge of managing the homepage for The Last Pride. Currently, the page is private, but we will make it public soon.
Reason for Joining: I wanted to enjoy games with people I like.
- Handle: Soul Wedding
Location: Korea
Gaming Background: PvP
Preferred Character: Monk/Necromancer. I try to focus on the safety of others.
Guild Position: Officer. I'm in charge of communication between other guilds.
Reason for Joining: To be the best in the world . . . and we have achieved it.
- Handle: Bloodlight Eyes
Location: Korea
Preferred Character: I mostly play Warriors who use hammers. My main targets are Monks, and I use Bull's Strike to mess with their timing. While a Monk is healing, I use Back Breaker and Crushing Blow with Frenzy, for one big series of blows.
Guild Position: I am In charge of scheduling. I also test out and confirm game rumors from other guilds and let people know about the facts.
- Handle: Only One Star
Location: Korea
Gaming Background: I've played games for about 5 years, and Guild Wars is my favorite!
Preferred Character: Monk/Necromancer specializing in the Divine Favor attribute. I use Reversal of Fortune and Mend Ailment to heal players.
Guild Position: Officer. I'm In charge of reporting information such as new domestic/international guilds and other news.
Parting Words From The Last Pride
We would like to say a few words now that the Championship is over. Starting in late 2004, we have played Guild Wars for 16 months. We have played in many tournaments and even at E3, but this Championship was one of the most memorable events for us.
We are very thankful to the foreign guilds, regardless of victory conditions. Although we were from different countries and did not know one another, we were able to be very good friends. We had communication problems talking about many things, but not Guild Wars. When we talked about Guild Wars, we had no problems.
We have come to have a close friendship with the Te guild. We like them very much, and we stayed up late talking and drinking together, even though we had a tournament coming the next day. Because we didn't have time to talk about the Championship, we starved during lunchtime for the meeting, but it was okay. Later, we started talking and drinking earlier in the evening. When we were playing, Te made hand-held signs for us, and we were very impressed and happy.
Through Guild Wars, we can have international friends unlike other games. We are very excited about the upcoming Alliance system in Factions. Also, we were happy that the developers came up to us and talked to usGaile Gray and Isaiah Cartwright were very friendly. Jeff Strain promised to put up a picture of us on the official Guild Wars website, and we are looking forward to this! We are thankful to Tommy, Woo Ju Cho, and Han Joo Lee, as well as all the other ArenaNet and NCsoft staff.
Guild Wars fighting!