Guild of the Week: Frozen Flame [ICE]

Originally formed by four Finnish players, Frozen Flame is cited as being a creation of convenience—primarily for the use of Guild chat and the possibility of recruiting more Finnish players. In the Beta Weekend Events that followed, however, the guild started to expand and began to play PvP regularly. Eventually, the guild expanded to recruiting international players in hopes of becoming a world-class GvG competitor.

ICE's guild roster currently has around fifteen active members, of which around ten play on the guild's championship GvG roster. ICE is host to players from all over Europe—England, France, Finland, Germany, and others—but also contains a few players from the USA.

Most of ICE's members have been playing Guild Wars actively for over a year, and they believe that one of their guilds strongest aspects is that its members know and trust each other very well. They believe that this allows them to execute more complex and difficult tactics in GvG while remaining relatively free from the drama and conflict that is usually found in high-level GvG guilds. The guild works to maintain friendships within its membership to keep the game environment positive and enjoyable.

One of the guild's goals is that its members continuously develop themselves as players—but not at the expense of having fun. The guild feels that Guild Wars is a game and, as such, should always remain fun, even if played competitively. While the guild may have originated as a way to stay in touch with others, it quickly evolved into a PvP team, and its members have never looked back. The guild has beaten many top-tier guilds from time to time, but it hopes eventually to become a genuine contender for a GW championship.

PvP Game Discussion

• Warrior/Elementalist: Strength (9), Hammer (16), Tactics (11), Air Magic (2); Frenzy, Rush, Shock, Devastating Hammer [E], Crushing Blow, Fierce Blow, Healing Signet, Resurrection Signet
• Monk/Mesmer: Smiting (16), Protection (9), Divine Favor (11); Air of Enchantment [E], Reversal of Fortune, Guardian, Judge's Insight, Balthazar's Aura, Draw Conditions, Zealot's Fire, Resurrection Signet
• Elementalist/Monk: Energy Storage (10), Water Magic (14), Healing Prayers (9), Protection (3); Blurred Vision, Ice Spikes, Shard Storm, Deep Freeze, Ether Prodigy [E], Heal Party, Convert Hexes, Resurrection Signet
• Monk/Mesmer: Divine Favor (13), Healing (7), Protection (9), Inspiration (10); Mend Condition, Reversal of Fortune, Infuse Health, Protective Spirit, Mantra of Recall [E], Contemplation of Purity, Inspired Hex, Divine Boon
• Warrior/Elementalist: Strength (9), Axe (16), Tactics (11), Air Magic (2); Frenzy, Sprint, Shock, Eviscerate [E], Executioner's Strike, Bull's Strike, Healing Signet, Resurrection Signet
• Mesmer/Monk: Domination (14), Fast Casting (9), Inspiration (11); Expel Hexes [E], Diversion, Shatter Enchantment, Drain Enchantment, Energy Burn, Blackout, Cry of Frustration, Resurrect
• Monk/Mesmer: Divine Favor (14), Protection (9), Inspiration (10); Mend Condition, Reversal of Fortune, Signet of Devotion, Protective Spirit, Mantra of Recall [E], Contemplation of Purity, Inspired Hex, Divine Boon
• Elementalist/Monk: Energy Storage (10), Water (4), Air Magic (14), Healing Prayers (9); Lightning Orb, Blinding Flash, Windborne Speed, Ice Prison, Ether Prodigy [E], Healing Breeze, Heal Party, Extinguish

This build was designed both with offense and defense in mind. In designing it, ICE tried very hard to distribute the load of Hex/Condition removal and damage capacity evenly. As an example, ICE feels it is a bad idea to put Draw Conditions and Expel Hexes on the same player, because it's difficult to use both of them effectively while also using other skills, and your team subsequently becomes very vulnerable if that player is killed.

The build is pretty straightforward. The Warriors make use of pressure and perform adrenaline spikes with the help of the Water Elementalist and Smiting Monk. Meanwhile, the Mesmer and Elementalist work together to keep the Warriors clean from Conditions and Hexes while also shutting down enemy offense and defense.

If the build's smiter is constantly being shut down, he should instead concentrate on healing allies and casting Balthazar's Aura or Judge's Insight on the Warriors before spikes. If the Water Elementalist is being shut down, he should simply move back further and use long-range skills on frontline targets (such as Warriors).

The damage output of the build isn't as strong as some other builds, so the Warriors must constantly apply pressure, and the Mesmer has to be very efficient with his shutdowns. A good strategy is to use Diversion right before the spike on an enemy Monk, followed by a slightly late Shatter Enchantment on the spiked target (Drain Enchantment and Energy Burn can be used as a follow-up if needed). Additionally, the runner has Lighting Orb to provide extra damage on a spike, and he should be used whenever he's with the main group, so communication between the caller and the runner is necessary to maximize the group's synergy.

Once one of the enemy Monks goes down, the two Shock Warriors—along with Water snares from the Elementalist—provide an excellent opportunity to pressure the other Monk down before the first one is resurrected. This is one of the greatest strengths of the build. Even if the other Monk is resurrected in time, you can easily finish the second Monk simply by having your Mesmer stand next to the dead Monk and instantly blackout him once he's resurrected. The Monks in the build are pretty basic; ICE decided to go with two Boon Prots, as it feels they are superior on splits compared to the common Blessed Light/Boon Prot combination.

Player Profiles

Get to know some of the members of ICE.

• Handle: Spider
  Location: Scotland
  Gaming Background: PvP, RPGs
  Preferred Character: I prefer to play Mesmer, because I like the feeling of control in a guild battle, but I also enjoy other caster classes.
• Handle: Sofa
  Location: Texas, USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I most often play the defensive Boon Prot. Generally, I try to focus on efficient Energy management, Hex removal, Condition removal, and preemptive enchanting. My favorite build at the moment is the Boon Prot in GvG that utilizes Gift of Health.
• Handle: Taylor Polynomial
  Location: Pennsylvania, USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I've always preferred a support role, because I enjoy making my allies more effective and efficient.
• Handle: Majestik
  Location: Paris, France
  Gaming Background: FPS, RTS
  Preferred Character: I prefer to play support characters such as Mesmers or Elementalists, because I can be effective in both offense and defense.
• Handle: Radio / Shiela
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: RTS
  Preferred Character: I like playing a backline Monk because it allows me to make a visible impact on the game, more so than most other positions. It also requires a lot of thinking, which makes me feel special because many people have trouble doing this.
• Handle: I Love
  Location: England
  Gaming Background: FPS, RPGs
  Preferred Character: Infuse Monk! No doubt! Or just a straightforward Boon. I like it because it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Also, it heals for a ton, super fast!
• Handle: void
  Location: Germany
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: Axe Warrior, knock down with Bull's Strike or Shock, then spike with Eviscerate and Executioner's Strike.
• Handle: Korrigan
  Location: France
  Gaming Background: RTS
  Preferred Character: I love playing Necromancers, because I can annoy both casters and Warriors. It's also very satisfying because Necromancers are so incredibly efficient when played well; for example, you can keep track of Parasitic Bond timers and use the healing to cancel out a high sacrifice skill such as Offering of Blood.
• Handle: Olister
  Location: England
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: Hammer Warrior, because I like to hit people in the head until they die! My favorite strategy is to body-block people in corners so that they can't move, and unleash my maximum damage potential!
• Handle: Anaiyella / Rashan
  Location: Finland
  Gaming Background: RPS, RTS
  Preferred Character: I enjoy playing all the classes in Guild Wars, but I usually use a Warrior, Monk, or Elementalist in GvG. Recently, however, I have enjoyed playing Mesmers because of the new shut-down skills in Factions.
• Handle: Xasew
  Location: Finland
  Gaming Background: RPGs, FPS
  Preferred Character: Warrior or runner. On my Warrior I try to focus on the appearance of my spikes so they are more difficult to predict. For example, I sometimes try to run to another target before doing the actual spike. As a runner, I just run the flag and maintain clear communication with the main group.
• Handle: Rogue
  Location: England
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I prefer to play a Ranger or Mesmer, because they both have many interrupt skills. There's no better thrill than countering an opponent's spell before it even finishes casting.
• Handle: Empathy
  Location: Finland
  Gaming Background: RPGs, PvP
  Preferred Character: I usually play a strong damage dealer—either a Warrior or an Elementalist.
• Handle: Meuble
  Location: France
  Gaming Background: RTS, FPS
  Preferred Character: I usually play a Monk, because saving lives is a big passion of mine. I also like to play Elementalists or Mesmers.